An Uncomfortable Clip Of Will And Jada Has Resurfaced Amid Oscars Slap Scandal
Despite the fact that Will Smith is the one facing potential consequences by the Academy for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, many are holding his wife Jada Pinkett Smith equally accountable. In an unprecedented incident in Oscars history, Will went onstage and smacked Rock after the comedian's joke about Jada's shaved head — "Jada, love you, 'G.I. Jane 2,' can't wait to see it," were Rock's exact words. Although Will was initially shown laughing and clapping at the crack, Jada ostensibly rolled her eyes. Next thing the world knew, there was Will, assaulting Rock on the largest stage in Hollywood, before returning to his seat and yelling the now-famous profane line, "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!"
Although Jada initially stood by Will's actions, even laughing at the slap as it occurred, US Weekly reported in April that Jada deemed Will to be "overreacting." It was the latest headline to make some wonder if Will's altercation was worth it at all. "Personally, I feel sorry for Will... That's what happens when a man loves a woman who doesn't love him, and he's doing everything to try and make sure that ... try to win her love," comedian Earthquake remarked on "The Breakfast Club" on April 5, per the Atlanta Black Star.
A newly resurfaced Instagram Live clip of the Smiths certainly won't help the public perception that their marriage is secretly troubled.
The Smiths just got cringier
Holy cringe! An awkward clip of Jada Pinkett Smith interrogating Will Smith during a 2019 Instagram livestream has resurfaced online and is turning some heads. Promoting an episode of her Facebook Watch show, "Red Table Talk," Jada asks her husband on-camera, "You know Esther Perel is coming to the table ... Would you say she has been instrumental in you and I redefining our relationship?" Will, looking none too pleased, answers, "I would say don't just start filming me without asking me."
Jada steamrolls ahead, calling Will's response "foolishness" and asks him again, "Would you say that she helped us heal the hurts that we caused between one another?" Seemingly at a loss for words, Will replies, "My social media presence is my bread and butter. So you can't just use me for social media. Don't just start rolling, I'm standing in my house." To add to the oof factor, Jada ignores Will's answer, simply saying sarcastically, "Please watch Esther at the Red Table because she's helped us a lot ... Can't you tell?"
Reddit users had sympathetic comments for Will after watching the interaction. One noted that Jada was "ignoring his boundaries," while another pointed out, "If she was brazen enough to call his level-headed response 'foolishness,' I can only cringe at what she said when after she stopped recording." One user summarized it best by likening the exchange to "a weird fan harassing him" and labeling the vid "so uncomfortable to watch."
Will and Jada get awkward on Red Table Talk
Another cringe-worthy clip that gave insight into the dynamic of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's tumultuous marriage has resurfaced after the slap debacle. The video, which is from a 2018 episode of "Red Table Talk" that featured Will as a guest, shows Jada openly admitting that she had zero interest in tying the knot. "I really didn't want to get married," the "Set It Off" star revealed. According to Jada, she only acquiesced to marriage because of her mother. Apparently, once the couple found out that Jada was pregnant with their son, Jaden Smith, the family insisted that the two needed to make their union legal. "I didn't know what to do, but I just knew I never wanted to be married," Jada said on the old "Red Table" episode.
The pressure Jada and Will felt only continued to build over the years, and seeing their relationship heavily covered by the press put even more stress on their marriage. "They have felt more exposed these past few years and it's taken its toll," a source told the New York Post on March 29, after Will's infamous meltdown. Part of that pressure stemmed from the terms of the couple's unconventional marriage.
The Smiths' marriage arrangement is not for everyone
In the past, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith had been forthright about their unique marital arrangements. According to Will, it was Jada who suggested the couple keep an open mind about their union. "Jada never believed in conventional marriage," the "Bad Boys" star told GQ in September 2021. Having an open marriage was part of the key to the pair feeling free. "And marriage for us can't be a prison," Will told the publication. However, the Hollywood A-lister realized that involving partners from outside the marriage came with its own set of obstacles. "And I don't suggest our road for anybody. I don't suggest this road for anybody," he told GQ, adding that the couple truly loved one another.
During an episode of "The Red Table Talk" in 2021, Jada came clean about a past relationship with rapper August Alsina outside her marriage, per Fox News. Following the Academy Awards fiasco, rumors circulated that Alsina would spill the tea on their extramarital tryst, but the musician vehemently denied those claims in a strongly-worded Instagram post. "What would be the need to write a book about my supposed 'sex life' with ANYBODY, EVER, in life?" Alsina wrote on April 7, shutting down rumors about the supposed, salacious tell-all memoir. We think that's enough cringeworthy content about the Smiths for now!