*Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Red Table Talk” returned for its fifth season on Wednesday and wasted no time subtly referencing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last month.
A message at the beginning of the premiere episode of the Facebook Watch series addressed why the March 27 Oscars incident won’t immediately be unpacked on the show.
“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing. Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls,” read the statement. “Until then… the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest. Thanks for joining us, Jada.”
The new episode featured Pinkett Smith, her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris along with special guest Janelle Monáe.
READ MORE: ‘Red Table Talk’ Returns – Trailer Shows Provocative Guests But No Will Smith! | WATCH
As we previously reported, during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday, Chris Rock made a “G.I. Jane 2” joke directed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, which she shaved because she’s battling alopecia. The joke caused Will to sock Chris in the face out of anger, something he has since apologized for twice.
After the assault, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the biopic “King Richard.”
In a post on Instagram a day after the incident, Smith called his behavior “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
“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,” he wrote. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Smith added, “Violence in all forms is poisonous and destructive.”
He also apologized to “the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.”
“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us,” he wrote. “I am a work in progress,” he concluded.
Smith has reportedly failed to contact Rock personally to apologize for the assault.
Smith has resigned from the Academy and the board of directors banned him from all Oscar-related events for 10 years.
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