Jada Pinkett-Smith Says Oscars Slap Rescued Her Marriage

Jada Pinkett-Smith recently revealed a candid account of how the infamous Oscars slap became a turning point in her nearly 30-year marriage to Will Smith. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Pinkett-Smith discussed the public scandal's profound impact on her relationship, shedding light on the complexities of their bond.

Will Smith, who was nominated for Best Actor in 2022, confronted comedian Chris Rock on stage after the latter joked about Pinkett-Smith's shaved head. The altercation, which took place in front of a global audience, was a turning-point in their marriage. "Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth!" Smith had fumed at the time.

Pinkett-Smith now refers to it as the 'holy slap,' recognizing the positive changes that occurred as a result. "I nearly didn’t even attend the Oscars that year, but I’m glad I did. I call it the “holy slap” now because so many positive things came after it."

This revelation occurs against the backdrop of a relationship that has seen its fair share of ups and downs. Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith had been living apart for more than six years, with Pinkett-Smith relocating from their Calabasas mansion to a new residence closer to Smith.

"That moment of the s*** hitting the fan is when you see where you really are," Pinkett-Smith reflected. "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 public first learned of their split during a podcast in July 2020, when Pinkett-Smith revealed details of her 'entanglement' with singer/songwriter August Alsina. The revelation shed light on the complexities of their relationship, exposing a previously unseen side to the public.

In Worthy, Pinkett-Smith's memoir, she delves into her life's challenges, from her troubled teenage years as a drug dealer to the ups and downs of her Hollywood career. Her struggles with mental health are also explored in the memoir, including a rough period in which she considered suicide.

"That passage was tough for my friends to read," she told the outlet. "They now know that they were by my side while I was thinking, “This suicide has to look like an accident so the children aren’t traumatized, and I don’t just want to be injured; it has to be final." And when Will read that part, he was like, “Damn!’’

Pinkett-Smith attributes a transformative change in her life to plant therapy, specifically an experience with ayahuasca. In addition to personal revelations, Pinkett-Smith spoke about her evolving spiritual journey and her family's collective ayahuasca experience.

Despite their considerable wealth and celebrity, Pinkett-Smith emphasizes the importance of redefining wealth and celebrity for the soul. She now lives a more contemplative life, often dodging conventional measures of success in favor of a simpler, more grounded existence.