Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith got their celestial intercession thanks to the “Men In Black” actor’s Oscars night slap of presenter Chris Rock.
Pinkett Smith recently revealed that the infamous slap strengthened the couple’s teetering relationship.
“That moment of the s— hitting the fan is when you see where you really are,” she told the Daily Mail’s You Magazine. “After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?”
The “Girls Trip” actor also mentioned that she almost didn’t attend the 94th Academy Awards in 2022, but added she was glad she did.
“I call it the ‘holy slap’ now because so many positive things came after it,” she said.
While the event may have had a positive effect on the duo’s marriage, the moment led to public scrutiny and Smith having to repeatedly apologize. It also led to his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a ban from attending the Oscars ceremony — and all other academy events — for the next 10 years.
Pinkett Smith told “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb that she was surprised that the “Bad Boys” star referred to her as his wife on Oscars night when he told Chris Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f— mouth.”
“First of all, I’m really shocked … we haven’t called each other ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ in a long time. What is going on right now?” she said in the October interview.
Will’s surprise appearance at her book tour in October further reinforces their commitment. He acknowledged the challenges they’ve faced, describing their relationship as “brutiful” — a combination of brutal and beautiful.
Despite the ups and downs, the couple remains open about their long and complex journey together.
