Photo via @michaelrapaport/Instagram
March 31, 2022, 10:24 am*
The Oscars slap saga continues into the last day of the month after comedian Michael Rapaport reposted some footage from Sunday night taken by an audience member that caught Jada Pinkett Smith’s reaction to the incident, or at least the back of her head. The clip has people throwing around all kinds of speculation, with many insisting that her body movements after Chris Rock said “Will Smith just slapped the s–t out of me” meant she laughed—along with the rest of the audience.
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Michael Rapaport promised that he will be “breaking this down live all weekend” at his own comedy shows, because what we really need on this conflict between two Black men and a Black woman is more white opinions, right?
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The incident that has come to be known as The Slap (TM) has kicked off all kinds of discussions, some helpful, some not, as people analyze every moment from the scene. Jada, who was the butt of the Chris Rock joke about baldness while being a Black woman with alopecia, has only posted one thing on her own social media since Sunday night—an image sporting a statement about healing.
“This is a season for healing and I’m here for it,” it reads.
This, again, sparked wild speculation.
Some of the discussion has been around how both the Smiths reacted with laughter. Early on, many were baffled by the fact that Will initially laughed at Rock’s joke comparing his wife to G.I. Jane before walking on the stage to slap him for it. However, it’s very common for people to laugh not only because they are amused, but in shock or because they’re uncomfortable and trying to hide it or out of a desire to deescalate the situation, as well as a wide variety of other reasons.
People now seem to be suggesting that because Jada laughed at another of Rock’s jokes, which most of the rest of the Oscars audience also laughed at, it means she’s bad. Others appeared to push the idea that because she laughed at the slapping of the man who made a hurtful joke, she must not have been hurt by the joke in the first place, which simply doesn’t add up. Laughing at the misfortunes of those who have hurt you, while not perhaps the highest moral ideal, is pretty much universally human.
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Some are even making accusations that Jada is abusing or manipulating Will, and that this shot of the back of her head proves it.
“Jada didn’t even look at Will, laughed at the incident and she’s the puppet master,” reads one Instagram comment. “Will broke after years of her manipulation and being controlled by Scientology.”
Rumor has it that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith will be discussing the incident on Jada’s talk show Red Table Talk, where we will hopefully finally get to hear her perspective on what happened and how she really felt that night. Radar Online claims their “sources” say we can expect the episode to be taped as early as next week. The Smiths have been turning down interview requests from other talk shows and Will pointedly avoided reporters after the Oscars were over.
Will has already released a public apology to Rock, the Academy, and everyone on his own Instagram post, following his initial apology during his acceptance speech for the Oscar he won for his performance in King Richard.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” he said on Instagram. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
*First Published: March 31, 2022, 10:14 am
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