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Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s turbulent marriage sparks shocking Oscars slapdown

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's turbulent marriage sparks shocking Oscars slapdown 2

Will Smith tumultuous relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, apparently caused trouble for the actor at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Smith hit Oscars presenter Chris Rock in a stunning meltdown on stage at Sunday’s ceremony after the comedian cracked jokes about Jada’s haircut. 

After Smith strode out on stage and appeared to smack Rock with an open right hand, Rock staggered and exclaimed ‘wow, Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me.’ 

Smith, visibly emotional, walked back to his seat in the audience and shouted: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.’ 

The meltdown appeared genuine but it was not immediately clear whether it had been staged as an ill-conceived prank. 

After the incident, Smith and Jada reportedly held hands throughout the ceremony. 

The couple’s open relationship has seemingly been a trigger for Smith, having sparked chaotic conversation at various star-studded events and caused the actor to insist ‘never been infidelity’ in their marriage.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's turbulent marriage sparks shocking Oscars slapdown 3

Will Smith tumultuous relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, apparently caused trouble for the actor at the Academy Awards on Sunday

Smith appeared to hit Oscars presenter Chris Rock in a stunning meltdown on stage at Sunday's ceremony after the comedian cracked jokes about Jada's haircut

Smith appeared to hit Oscars presenter Chris Rock in a stunning meltdown on stage at Sunday’s ceremony after the comedian cracked jokes about Jada’s haircut

Smith won the academy award for Best Actor moments after he slapped Rock with an open hand live on stage.

Accepting the award, Smith issued a tearful apology for his emotional outburst, saying: ‘I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment.’ 

‘Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,’ said a visibly emotional Smith. ‘In this time in my life, in this moment I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do.’ 

Vanity Fair executive editor Ramin Setoodeh, who was tweeting live from the ceremony, said that someone who works for the Oscars told him that Rock was not interrupted by Smith at rehearsals on Saturday. 

‘It was not supposed to happen. It was real,’ he wrote.

After the slap, Smith was seen being comforted and consoled by Denzel Washington and actor-producer Tyler Perry. Bradley Cooper also pulled Smith aside and was seen in close conversation with him. 

Setoodeh, watching from inside the theater, said that Smith’s publicist approached him and spoke to him during a commercial break. 

Smith won his first Academy Award in his 33-year acting career on Sunday for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the determined father who raised tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, in ‘King Richard.’

Smith and Jada are seen nuzzling each other at the Academy Awards on Sunday

Smith and Jada are seen nuzzling each other at the Academy Awards on Sunday

Smith won his first Academy Award for his role in King Richard, moments after striking Chris Rock live on television

Smith won his first Academy Award for his role in King Richard, moments after striking Chris Rock live on television

Smith and Jada lovingly react after he is declared the winner of the Oscar for Best Actor

Smith and Jada lovingly react after he is declared the winner of the Oscar for Best Actor

The couple is embraced by fellow celebs after Smith won the award for Best Actor

The couple is embraced by fellow celebs after Smith won the award for Best Actor 

Earlier this month, Smith and Jada found themselves the butt of a joke after he scooped Best Actor for his role in King Richard at the 75th Annual British Academy Film Awards. 

BAFTAs host Rebel Wilson, 41, quipped on stage: ‘I thought his best performance over the past year was being OK with all his wife’s boyfriends!’ 

Speaking afterwards, Smith insisted that there has ‘never been infidelity’, despite Jada, 50, admitting in 2020 that she had an ‘entanglement’ with singer August Alsina, 29.  

‘There’s never been infidelity in our marriage. Jada and I talk about everything, and we have never surprised one another with anything ever,’ Smith said.

The actor – who has son Jaden, 23, and daughter Willow, 21, with Jada – added that he doesn’t care if people speculate about his marriage and instead he encourages the ‘chatter’ in the hope it will spark meaningful debate.

‘I have decided that chatter about my life can be of a benefit to people,’ he told Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning after the BAFTAs.

‘Chatter is the first stage to having a real conversation and to be able to truly explore if some of the things in your heart are loving or poisonous.’

The couple - who share two children, Willow and Jaden Smith - have found their marriage the topic of headlines in recent years, particularly when Jada discussed her relationship with singer August Alsina (not pictured). The Smith family is seen together in November 2021

The couple – who share two children, Willow and Jaden Smith – have found their marriage the topic of headlines in recent years, particularly when Jada discussed her relationship with singer August Alsina (not pictured). The Smith family is seen together in November 2021

Smith, pictured with Jada at the Oscars on Sunday, admitted in September 2021 his wife wasn't 'the only one engaging in other sexual relationships' outside of their marriage

Smith, pictured with Jada at the Oscars on Sunday, admitted in September 2021 his wife wasn’t ‘the only one engaging in other sexual relationships’ outside of their marriage

The Smiths also got into a bit of an awkward situation on the 2022 SAG Awards red carpet in February.

The A-list couple was being interviewed by E! News host Laverne Cox who suddenly brought up the topic of entanglements, saying: ‘We can’t wait for more Red Table Talk and more entanglements.’ 

Jada smoothly navigated the uncomfortable situation, raising her fingers and saying, ‘No more of those!’ while smiling.  

Cox laughed and said: ‘No more entanglements! I love you, girl. I’m just kidding. I’m just joshing you.’ 

The couple’s marriage has hit the headlines in recent years, particularly when Jada discussed her relationship with Alsina. 

Earlier this month, during the BAFTAs ceremony, Rebel Wilson quipped on stage: 'I thought [Will's] best performance over the past year was being OK with all his wife’s boyfriends!'

Will responded to the jibe during a CBS Sunday Morning interview, saying he doesn't care if people speculate about his marriage and instead he encourages the 'chatter' in the hope it will spark meaningful debate

Earlier this month, during the BAFTAs ceremony, Rebel Wilson quipped on stage: ‘I thought [Will’s] best performance over the past year was being OK with all his wife’s boyfriends!’. Will responded to the jibe during a CBS Sunday Morning interview, saying he doesn’t care if people speculate about his marriage and instead he encourages the ‘chatter’ in the hope it will spark meaningful debate

The A-list couple was being interviewed by E! News host Laverne Cox on the 2022 SAG Awards red carpet in February when the actress suddenly brought up the topic of entanglements, saying: 'We can't wait for more Red Table Talk and more entanglements'

The A-list couple was being interviewed by E! News host Laverne Cox on the 2022 SAG Awards red carpet in February when the actress suddenly brought up the topic of entanglements, saying: ‘We can’t wait for more Red Table Talk and more entanglements’

Jada first made waves with the word ‘entanglement’ in 2020 on her Facebook show, while describing her relationship with Alsina to her husband.

She did the show a month after August appeared on The Breakfast Club in June and claimed that he was in a relationship with the actress and had her husband’s ‘blessing.’  

‘Four and a half years ago… I started a friendship with August. We actually became really, really good friends,’ Jada told Red Table. 

‘It all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health, his mental state. 

‘From there as time went on, I got into a different kind of entanglement with August,’ she explained, later clarifying, ‘It was a relationship, absolutely.’ 

She added: ‘I was in a lot of pain, and I was very broken. Now in the process of that relationship, I definitely realized that you can’t find happiness outside of yourself.’ 

The couple also clarified that they were separated at the time that the relationship took place. 

The original comment: Jada first made waves with the word 'entanglement' in 2020 on her Facebook show, while describing her relationship with musician August to her husband

The original comment: Jada first made waves with the word ‘entanglement’ in 2020 on her Facebook show, while describing her relationship with musician August to her husband

In September 2021, the Aladdin star admitted his wife wasn’t ‘the only one engaging in other sexual relationships’ outside of their marriage.

However, he declined to go into detail, particularly because his mindset has changed in recent years.

He explained: ‘It may seem hard to believe, but I would lose sleep over not giving you the answer that I know you could use.

‘I want to help you, I want you to succeed, I want you to have a headline.

‘But by the same token, I don’t want to deal with the backlash of that in the world. To say I don’t want to talk about that three years ago would have been f****** excruciating for me.’

Smith admitted his wife never ‘believed in conventional marriage’ so they spent a long time figuring out their relationship boundaries.

He said: ‘Jada never believed in conventional marriage.… Jada had family members that had an unconventional relationship.

Smith has previously admitted his wife never 'believed in conventional marriage' so they spent a long time figuring out their relationship boundaries. He and Jada are pictured together at the Critics Choice Awards in 2002

Smith has previously admitted his wife never ‘believed in conventional marriage’ so they spent a long time figuring out their relationship boundaries. He and Jada are pictured together at the Critics Choice Awards in 2002

Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith are pictured hosting the BET Awards in 2005

Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith are pictured hosting the BET Awards in 2005

‘So she grew up in a way that was very different than how I grew up. There were significant endless discussions about, what is relational perfection? What is the perfect way to interact as a couple? And for the large part of our relationship, monogamy was what we chose, not thinking of monogamy as the only relational perfection.’

But the Men in Black star admitted their approach is not for everyone.

He said: ‘We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way. And marriage for us can’t be a prison.

‘And I don’t suggest our road for anybody. I don’t suggest this road for anybody. But the experiences that the freedoms that we’ve given one another and the unconditional support, to me, is the highest definition of love.’

The couple has notoriously overshared when it comes to details surrounding their relationship.

The couple, pictured at the SAG Awards in 2007, has notoriously overshared when it comes to details surrounding their relationship

The couple, pictured at the SAG Awards in 2007, has notoriously overshared when it comes to details surrounding their relationship

Last November, Smith revealed that he and Jada enjoyed a very active sex life in the early days of their relationship, but he later consulted a tantric sex counselor when their marriage was on the brink of collapse. The couple is photographed together in July 2003

Last November, Smith revealed that he and Jada enjoyed a very active sex life in the early days of their relationship, but he later consulted a tantric sex counselor when their marriage was on the brink of collapse. The couple is photographed together in July 2003

Last November, Smith revealed that he and Jada enjoyed a very active sex life in the early days of their relationship, but he later consulted a tantric sex counselor when their marriage was on the brink of collapse.

‘We drank every day, and had sex multiple times every day, for four straight months… I started to wonder if this was a competition,’ Smith admitted during an Apple TV+ interview with Oprah Winfrey.

‘Either way, as far as I was concerned, there were only two possibilities: (1) I was going to satisfy this woman sexually, or (2) I was going to die trying.’

‘Since you’re not dead, we assume you won the competition,’ Oprah said, prompting Smith to laugh.

‘Well, it ended up being a lot more complex than that, Oprah,’ he told her. ‘You know, those early day were spectacular. Me and Jada, to this day, if we start talking, it’s four hours. It’s four hours if we exchange a sentence.

‘And it’s like, it’s the center of why we’ve been able to sustain and why we’re still together, not choking the life out of each other. It’s like, the ability to work through issues… I’ve just never met another person that I connect with in conversation more blissfully and productively than Jada.

Things haven’t always been so blissful between the couple. Smith and Jada split in 2011 after he threw Jada an over-the-top birthday 40th bash which he had dreamed up three years prior, according to a detailed account of the event in his memoir.

The three-day extravaganza took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and included activities such as golf and hikes. Smith even created a documentary about his wife’s family and hired Missy Elliot to perform after a luxurious dinner which included a 20-foot-long archway adorned with photos of Jada.

‘I was the perfect husband,’ Smith penned.

Jada, however, was not a fan of the festivities and apparently had nothing to say about it. 

‘Not a “thank you,” not an “I loved it,”‘ the actor said.

She demanded he cancel the remainder of the weekend and allegedly yelled ‘CANCEL IT NOW!’ when he balked at her suggestion.

Jada also allegedly called the bash ‘the most disgusting display of ego I have ever seen in my life.’

The couple gave each other the silent treatment for the remainder of their trip, and did not speak during their flight back to LA and in the days to follow. Finally, enough was enough for the actor.

Actor Will Smith, his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and their family are pictured at Nickelodeon's 18th Annual Kid's Choice Awards in April 2005

Actor Will Smith, his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and their family are pictured at Nickelodeon’s 18th Annual Kid’s Choice Awards in April 2005

Will and Jada Smith pose for a photograph at the Academy Awards on March 28, 2022

Will and Jada Smith pose for a photograph at the Academy Awards on March 28, 2022

The couple appeared to goof off, making silly faces, ahead of Sunday's awards ceremony

The couple appeared to goof off, making silly faces, ahead of Sunday’s awards ceremony

‘I retire. I retire from trying to make you happy … I quit — you go do you, and I’m-a go do me,’ he recalled telling Jada.

While they ‘didn’t want a divorce’, Smith said they needed time to be apart from one another. He said fulfilling one another was a ‘vampiric relational model.’

This led Smith down a path of spiritual exploration which saw him take ayahuasca 14 times over the course of two years and encounter a presence he called ‘Mother’ during eight of those experiences.

He also described meeting a counselor specializing in tantric sexuality, Michaela Boehm, during his split from Jada.

When asked by Michaela what would make him happy, Smith said: ‘I would have a harem.’

Yet he was unable to think of anyone when asked who he would have in the group.

‘Look, you are Will Effin’ Smith. You are one of the richest, most beloved people on earth. If you can’t have the life that you want, the rest of us are screwed,’ Michaela replied.

Smith and Michaela thought up of 25 women for the group, but their names aren’t revealed in the memoir. He did, however, specify that he wanted Halle Berry and ballerina Misty Copeland.

The actor was initially excited by the prospect and promised to get in touch with the women the next morning. Yet it soon dawned on him that the harem fantasy was related to his strained relationship with Jada.

‘I guess I felt if I had enough women, I’d always be able to find at least one of them who liked me,’ Smith recalled in his book.

‘If I can’t figure out how to nurture and nourish one extraordinary woman, what the f*** made me think I could care for 25?’ 


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