Jada Pinkett Smith Finally Addresses Oscar Slap During Red Table Talk on Alopecia: “My deepest hope is that these two intelligent capable men talk this out and reconcile”
This Wednesday, Jada Pinkett Smith dropped a new episode of Red Table Talk where she spoke about alopecia. Before speaking with Niki Ball, the mother of 12-year-old Rio Allred, who suffered from alopecia and took her own life after being bullied, the actress began the segment with a solo statement into the camera. She said,
“This is a really important Red Table Talk on alopecia. Considering what I’ve been through with my own health and what happened at the Oscars, thousands have reached out to me with their stories,” she began. “I’m using this moment to give our alopecia family an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to have this condition and to inform people about what alopecia really is.”
This important message comes months after the now-infamous 94th Academy Awards where her husband Will Smith slapped Oscars host Chris Rock in the face for joking about her bald head which she shaved due to her hair loss condition. Finally addressing the wild moments, Jada says, “Now, about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile,” she continued. “The state of our world today, we need them both and we all actually need one another more than ever.” She added, “Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years,” she concluded, “and that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together.”
This is Jada Pinkett Smith’s first official statement since the incident. Following the slap down back in March, she only shared an Instagram post that read, “This is a season for healing. And I’m here for it.”
Will Smith has issued several statements with apologies but has not personally apologized to Chris Rock yet. He has since resigned from the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been banned for 10 years.
Further into the episode, Jada becomes emotional as she listens to the heartbroken mother recall the day her daughter took her own life after because she could no longer tolerate the bullies. The mom, Niki says she’s been trying to stay strong for her family and 7-year-old daughter but admits that it’s been tough:
“I feel like I have to stay strong.” She added that she finds it difficult to talk to Avry about the death of her older sister. “You can’t see that grief monster’s there, but you know they’re there and they’re just gonna come grab you at any second… How do you sit down and tell your 7-year-old; that her sister is gone but by her own hand?”
The latest episode of Red Table Talk’s on alopecia is currently stream today, June 1 at 9 am PT/12 pm ET on Facebook Watch.
