Jada Speaks

It’s doesn’t resolve the Situation between Will and Chris

Jada has spoken and it sounds like “coulda, shoulda, woulda” to me. Jada, wife of megastar actor Will Smith who bitch-slapped Chris Rock at the recent Oscars telecast stated, “ I wish Will hadn’t slapped Chris.” Well, duh!

Since the infamous slap was heard around the world, Smith has resigned from the Academy and issued apologies to the Oscars and Chris Rock. Rock, who recently performed in Boston, Mass, told a sold-out Wilbur Theater crowd that he was “still processing the matter.” Know doubt that Rock will craft a slew of material following his jaw realignment.

Everyone, including myself, has had plenty to say about the incident. Some feel that Will was justified in striking Rock who made an insensitive comment connected to Jada’s bald head. Jada suffers from Alopecia and recently shaved her head in a buzz-cut style. Rock joked that he couldn’t wait to see Jada in “G.I. Jane 2,” referencing the movie that starred Demi Moore who also sported a buzz-cut style for the role.

The joke received a mixture of laughs and groans from the audience. Rock played it off stating, “it wasn’t that bad” and was going on to present the Oscar for Best Documentary when Big Willie walked up on Chris and laid the smackdown. At first, the audience was quiet, not sure if the scene was staged until Will returned to his table and yelled out, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” That’s when everyone realized that the smack was for real.

Now, over a week after the Oscars, the internet is still abuzz over the incident. Again, some people are for team Will, and some are for team Chris. Jada is in the middle, throwing out cryptic statements and then disappearing as people rush to decipher their meaning. It leaves many of us wondering if this whole situation was a brilliantly crafted plan to generate publicity for Red Table Talk, Jada’s Facebook talk show, and Will’s upcoming projects.

Rock has definitely benefited from the situation. His shows in Boston were all sold out and he even added an additional show due to the high demand. Many people are applauding Rock for his professionalism at the Oscars and his unwillingness to press charges against Smith. Rock’s handling of the assault has garnered a lot of sympathy for him, making him an in-demand talent of the moment. Rock’s pockets are getting fatter while many entertainment companies are either pausing or pulling out of production deals with Smith.

The Academy will decide whether to punish Smith even further. Despite Smith resigning, the Academy board will convene and dish out more punishment to the actor. Smith could be fined, censured, or even worse — lose his Best Actor Oscar. I would hate for that to happen as Smith gave a stellar performance as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard.” It would be a shame that his work in that film was penalized by the Academy.

Whatever happens, I’m ready to move on from the situation. Smith needs to lay low and stay out of the spotlight. Jada can discuss the issue on her talk show, but I think the matter should be settled. I am interested in hearing from Chris Rock. I’d love to get his perspective on the incident and how the world reacted.

I’m sure there’ll be another celebrity scandal that will overshadow the current drama. We still have the war in Ukraine, the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown, and the scandal involving Clarence Thomas’ wife regarding the January 6th insurrection. Don’t forget rising inflation, food, and gas prices. That’s what’s slapping our wallets and deserves our full attention.