Vivica A. Fox couldn’t hold back the tears.
The Keeping Up With the Joneses actress got candid on the June 2 episode of The Wendy Williams Show—which she co-hosted with Carson Kressley—when discussing Jada Pinkett Smith’s response to her husband, Will Smith, slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
“This is going to be difficult for me,” Vivica said before she started to cry. “These are my peers.”
Vivica has worked with both stars: Independence Day with Will and Set It Off with Jada. While she shared her respect for the Smith family, Jada’s statement on Red Table Talk did not sit well with her.
She explained, “I just wish that we could have had a little bit more accountability and for it to not seem so self-righteous on Jada’s part.”
In the Red Table Talk episode dedicated to informing “people what alopecia actually is,” Jada said, “My deepest hope is that these two intelligent capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and reconcile.”
In March, audience members at the Oscars and fans watching from home witnessed the unprecedented moment. Chris, who was onstage to present an award, made a joke about Jada’s shaved head—the actress has opened up about struggling with alopecia—which prompted Will to make his way to the stage and slap Chris in the face, resulting in a 10-year ban from all Academy events.
“Will Smith was defending her honor,” Vivica said. “That was the reason he walked onstage and slapped, because he felt like his wife had been offended.”
Vivica said she felt there was no accountability in Jada’s statement because it did not cover the full picture and impact of the altercation.
She remarked, “Let’s not forget that Chris Rock was assaulted—we cannot forget that—for basically telling a joke that I really felt wasn’t that bad.”
She explained the that the night was meant to celebrate diversity. During the 2022 Oscars, Will won Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard and Ariana DeBose won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for West Side Story, making history as the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for her acting. Vivica said the slap distracted from the achievements of people of color in film.
Vivica continued, “This night was a night of African American and diversity for brown and Black people that now will forever be scarred.”
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