Chris Rock flirted with Jada Pinkett Smith in the past but failed.

The conflict between Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock first became known to the public in 2016. At that time, a movement calling for a boycott of the Oscars broke out because it believed that Academy members prioritize white people. Jada voiced her support because she believed that this was also the reason her husband did not receive a nomination for his role in Concussion . She also called on Chris Rock – the 2016 Oscar MC – to quit his job to stand on the side of the black community. The comedian then did not follow suit but satirized Jada right on stage with his opening speech.

Thinking back on the noise of the past, Jada Pinkett Smith believes that she was not subtle because Chris Rock was certainly under a lot of pressure at that time. She said she regretted not directly talking to the comedian before publicly calling on him to quit. The actor shared with People: “At that time, I probably should have called and asked him. And even though I frankly expressed my opinion about Oscar, I still wished Chris Rock the best and wished him the best.” He understands that. He could have been hurt.”

Chris Rock hosts the 2016 Oscars.

After the infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars

Jada Pinkett Smith said she hasn’t talked to Chris Rock since the incident at the 2022 Oscars, but she hopes everyone involved will return to normal soon. In her memoir, the actress wrote that maybe Chris was still angry with her, so he retaliated with a cruel joke on stage.

After the 2016 Oscars, Chris Rock called Jada Pinkett Smith to reconcile and the actress believed that the relationship between the two had been normal since then. “He apologized and I did the opposite. So really, I think the conflict has been resolved. We haven’t talked to each other since then, until 2022 comes” – Jada explained.

Chris Rock was beaten by Will Smith on the 2022 Oscar stage.

After Will Smith’s slap, Chris Rock came to apologize to Jada for his body shaming joke. At that time, the actress refused because she did not want to talk about what had just happened. Responding to People, Jada said she did not feel upset because making fun of others is something comedians in the US often do. At first, she even thought her husband was participating in the skit when he went on stage to slap Chris Rock. However, she also admitted that she felt hurt by those words that disparaged her appearance.