Jada Pinkett Reveals Chris Rock Asked Her Out & 7-Year Separation from Will Smith

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Jada Pinkett and Will Smith have been one of Hollywood’s most iconic couples for years. Their chemistry, positivity, open-mindedness, and inspirational messages about love and understanding have earned them a devoted fan following since their wedding in 1997. However, something changed drastically after the shocking incident at the 2022 Oscars when the renowned actor slapped comedian Chris Rock following a joke about Pinkett’s alopecia.

Now, Jada has decided to open up a bit more while promoting her upcoming autobiography, «Worthy,» described as «gripping, painfully honest, and ultimately inspirational.» As a result, the celebrity has shared some intimate aspects of her life that have left the public wanting to know more, such as the revelation that Pinkett and Smith have been separated for 7 years, as she disclosed to People magazine.

Regarding the state of their marriage, the actress has only revealed for now that «they’re still figuring it out.»

«We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just have deep love for each other, and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us,» she tells the media outlet.

The Oscars Incident & Chris Rock Asking Her Out

Pinkett’s words after the fateful night of the 2022 Oscars for Smith – and Chris Rock, and herself – were accompanied by controversial statements from 2018 that went viral after the scandal, seeming to question the public perception of her relationship with Will. «I never wanted to get married,» the actress said on her own show, The Red Table Talk. «The wedding was horrible,» her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, conceded. «It was a mess. Jada was sick, she was very unpleasant… She didn’t cooperate with anything.»

However, Jada had remained silent until recently when she shared her impressions of that disastrous night.

“I mean, that’s what comedians do,” says Jada. “I would just have to say that I am not really here to make any judgment on how people decide to express themselves and express their art. I’ll say that several times I’ve had my feelings hurt, for sure. I’ve had my feelings hurt a lot by Chris. But at the end of the day, too, being in the spotlight, it comes with the territory.”

Regarding the question of how Chris Rock’s unfortunate joke was received by her, the actress is clear. “I mean, that’s what comedians do,” says Jada. “I would just have to say that I am not really here to make any judgment on how people decide to express themselves and express their art. I’ll say that several times I’ve had my feelings hurt, for sure. I’ve had my feelings hurt a lot by Chris. But at the end of the day, too, being in the spotlight, it comes with the territory.”

Concerning Smith’s reaction, Jada says that, just like those who saw it on television or on social media, she didn’t expect it either.

«I thought, ‘This is a skit.'» Like many people watching the incident unfold on live TV, she didn’t believe it was real at first. «I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him,'» recalls the actress, 52, «It wasn’t until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn’t a skit,» she reveals to People magazine.

Pinkett has also indicated that Chris Rock himself asked her out in the midst of the rumors of a breakup with Smith. She said, «I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce. So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I’d love to take you out.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologized and that was that.»

A Severe Depression

According to the actress, when she turned 40, she fell into a severe depression that also led to suicidal thoughts. She mentions that «voices» inside her were encouraging her to end her life, leading her to even plan her own death. «I started looking for places, cliffs where I could have an accident because I didn’t want my kids to think that their mother had committed suicide,» she tells the mentioned magazine.

However, Jaden’s friends (Jada’s eldest son), introduced her to ayahuasca, a psychedelic drug often accompanied by a ritual with a spiritual leader who guides participants through hallucinations. «Ayahuasca helped me, it gave me a new intimate relationship with myself that I had never had before,» Jada says since the first time she took the drug, «the suicidal thoughts completely went away.» The actress also mentions that even her husband – or ex-husband, it’s not very clear – and their adult children have tried it.

In this way, Pinkett has shed some light on some of the questions that the public found most intriguing after the controversial incident on the most important night in cinema, for which Smith will be banned from the Academy for the next 10 years.