Jada Pinkett Smith made a bombshell revelation Wednesday, revealing that she and Will Smith were separated for 6 years before the infamous Oscars slap.
“We’re still figuring it out,” Pinkett Smith said to People during an interview published Wednesday. The star admitted she and Smith struggled through marital challenges, but insisted that she still stands by him. Pinkett Smith also discussed the moment Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Chris Rock and admitted she initially thought it was all a skit, according to People.
Pinkett Smith described the state of her relationship with Smith at this time, and what things have been like for their family in recent years.
“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together,” she said.
“We just got a deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us,” she said, according to People.
A sneak peek video of her interview with Hoda Kotb reveals that she and Smith have lived completely separate lives since 2016, including the fact that they live apart. In spite of not being together in the conventional sense, Pinkett Smith said she refused to divorce Smith and remains committed to trying to figure things out.
The famous actress and talk show host said she only realized Smith’s attack on Rock was real when he came back to his seat.
“I thought, ‘This is a skit,'” Pinkett Smith told People.
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“I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him,’ Pinkett Smith said, as she recalled the moment of the Oscars slap. “It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.” (RELATED: ‘Happiness Had Yet To Be Delivered’: Jada Pinkett Smith Admits Her Marriage To Will Smith Wasn’t Happy Behind The Scenes)
She recalls asking him, “Are you okay?” as she struggled to understand what had just unfolded. However, in spite of the Oscars slap and the stress her marriage has been under, she says she will continue to support Smith.
“I’m going to be by his side, but also allow him to have to figure this out for himself,” she said.