Jada Pinkett Smith has said her “deepest hope” is that her husband Will Smith and Chris Rock have the opportunity to “heal, talk this out and reconcile” after their altercation at the Oscars.
Opening Wednesday’s episode of her Red Table Talk show discussing alopecia, she briefly addressed the incident in which her husband took to the stage at the 94th Academy Awards and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about her short haircut.
The actress, 50, has been open about how her shorter hair is the result of the medical condition alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Pinkett Smith said at the beginning of the episode: “This is a really important Red Table Talk on alopecia. Considering what I’ve been through with my own health and what happened at the Oscars, thousands have reached out to me with their stories.
“I’m using this moment to give our alopecia family an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to have this condition and to inform people what alopecia actually is.”
She continued, : “Now about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and reconcile.
“The state of the world today, we need them both. And we actually all need one another more than ever.
“Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together.”
The altercation at the Oscars resulted in widespread criticism of Will Smith who, moments after assaulting Rock, won the award for best actor.
He subsequently resigned from the Academy and was later banned from attending all Academy events for the next 10 years.
Will Smith also shared a statement on Instagram where he apologised for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” behaviour at the event.
He added: “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
In the new Red Table Talk episode, Pinkett Smith turned the Oscars incident into a teachable moment as she explored how alopecia affects millions of people and the “shame” that surrounds it.
Alongside her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, they discussed what the condition is and how it can affect peoples’ lives.
Describing her experience, Pinkett Smith said: “I think the part that makes it most difficult for me is that it comes and goes.
“You’re going through a spell of something, and you got to shave your head.”
They also spoke to guests including the mother of a 12-year-old girl, Rio Allred, who was bullied over her hair loss and killed herself, and a physician who explained the different types of the disorder.