Jada Pinkett Smith has a lot more to say — about her marriage.
The “Gotham” alum, 52, got candid about her relationship with Will Smith and about the infamous 2022 Oscars slap heard around the world, in a new interview.
Last year Smith, 55, smacked presenter Chris Rock onstage at the awards show after the latter made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle.
It turns out that the couple were actually separated for six years before the scandal. The revelation comes amid yearslong talk of tension between the duo.
“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us,” Pinkett Smith told People today.
She noted that they are “still figuring it out.”
Will and Jada have been married since 1997 and share son Jaden, 25, and daughter Willow, 22, together. (Will welcomed son Trey, 30, with ex wife Sheree Zampino.)
Jada Pinkett Smith opened up about her relationship with Will Smith and about the infamous Oscar slap in a new interview. Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Pinkett Smith revealed that she and Smith were separated for six years before the slap. jadapinkettsmith/InstagramDespite their marriage troubles, she will always keep her children as her No. 1 priority.
Pinkett Smith gushed: “My children, they’re little gurus. They’ve taught me a deep sense of self-acceptance.
“They love every part of me,” she added. “The level of love, unconditional love that they have for me and their dad. And it’s one thing to want to be the person that gives that unconditional love. And then there’s, to be the recipient of that.”
The couple’s marriage continued to make major headlines following Will and Rock’s televised incident. Jada was taken aback by her husband’s actions, just like the rest of the world.
“I thought, ‘This is a skit,'” Pinkett Smith told the outlet.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock onstage during the 2022 Oscars. AFP via Getty Images“I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him,’” she went on. “It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit.”
Following the show, Jada asked her husband: “Are you okay?”
Despite the shocking incident, the “Girls Trip” actress plans to always stand by the “Bad Boys” alum.
“I’m going to be by his side,” she said, “but also allow him to have to figure this out for himself.”
Pinkett Smith said she thought the slap was a “skit.” Getty ImagesThe “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was ultimately banned from the Academy Awards for 10 years following his incident with Rock, 58.
“This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the academy,” Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson stated in an open letter to members following a meeting of the organization’s board. “We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow, Will Smith, Jaden and Trey attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Getty ImagesThe Oscar winner released a statement in response, saying: “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
Rock, meanwhile, later said he was “not a victim” at a stand-up show in July 2022. “Anyone who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face,” he reportedly said during his set at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In March, he said during his Netflix special “Selective Outrage” that he was “still hurt” by the situation.
“You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows. Everybody f – – king knows,” Rock joked at the time. “I got smacked like a year ago … and people are like, ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”






