Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that comedian Chris Rock had once asked her out on a date amid divorce rumours from her husband Will Smith. Pinkett Smith recently revealed that she has been separated from Will Smith since 2016 but the couple remain legally married.&nbsp; 
 
While speaking to People, Jada added that when Chris shared his wish with her, she clarified that she was still married to Will. 
Jada told People, “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 rumours.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologised and that was that.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-jada-pinkett-smith-reveals-she-is-separated-from-will-smith-since-2016-645662">Jada Pinkett Smith reveals she is separated from Will Smith since 2016</a>

The incident clearly happened a few years before the infamous Oscar slap incident. Jada also gave more details of that incident in her interview and admitted that she hasn't spoken to Chris since then.&nbsp;

Chris Rock had apologised to Jada after the Oscar slap incident 
 
At Oscars 2022, Jada's husband Will Smith walked up on the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for commenting on Jada's buzz cut. Jada suffers from alopecia.&nbsp; 
 
In the interview, Jada said&nbsp;Chris came downstage after the incident to speak to her. 
 
“Chris came down to the end of the stage and tried to apologise to me. He said, ‘I didn't mean you any harm.’ I said, ‘I can't talk about this now, Chris. This is some old s---.’ I thought this was [about] the Oscar 2016 and … their stuff that they had before I even came into the picture in the late ‘80s. I’ve got to leave that to Will and Chris to talk about, but they got their stuff for sure," she said.

About 2016 Oscars 
 
In 2016, Jada supported the #OscarsSoWhite movement and called for a boycott of the award show. The same year, Chris was hosting the show and had made jokes about Jada. She said that she didn't "really recognise the level of pressure [Chris] might've been under” at that time. 
 
While speaking to People, Jada added that she probably should have told him that even though she was talking about the Oscars, she wished him the best. The actress also stated that after the Oscar slap gate, Chris called her and they both apologised to each other. 
&nbsp;

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Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that comedian Chris Rock had once asked her out on a date amid divorce rumours from her husband Will Smith. Pinkett Smith recently revealed that she has been separated from Will Smith since 2016 but the couple remain legally married.

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed that comedian Chris Rock had once asked her out on a date amid divorce rumours from her husband Will Smith. Pinkett Smith recently revealed that she has been separated from Will Smith since 2016 but the couple remain legally married. While speaking to People, Jada added that when Chris shared his wish with her, she clarified that she was still married to Will. Jada told People, “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 rumours.’ He was appalled. And he profusely apologised and that was that.” Also read: Jada Pinkett Smith reveals she is separated from Will Smith since 2016 The incident clearly happened a few years before the infamous Oscar slap incident. Jada also gave more details of that incident in her interview and admitted that she hasn't spoken to Chris since then. Chris Rock had apologised to Jada after the Oscar slap incident At Oscars 2022, Jada's husband Will Smith walked up on the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for commenting on Jada's buzz cut. Jada suffers from alopecia. In the interview, Jada said Chris came downstage after the incident to speak to her. “Chris came down to the end of the stage and tried to apologise to me. He said, ‘I didn't mean you any harm.’ I said, ‘I can't talk about this now, Chris. This is some old s---.’ I thought this was [about] the Oscar 2016 and … their stuff that they had before I even came into the picture in the late ‘80s. I’ve got to leave that to Will and Chris to talk about, but they got their stuff for sure," she said. About 2016 Oscars In 2016, Jada supported the #OscarsSoWhite movement and called for a boycott of the award show. The same year, Chris was hosting the show and had made jokes about Jada. She said that she didn't "really recognise the level of pressure [Chris] might've been under” at that time. While speaking to People, Jada added that she probably should have told him that even though she was talking about the Oscars, she wished him the best. The actress also stated that after the Oscar slap gate, Chris called her and they both apologised to each other. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Jada Pinkett Smith reveals Chris Rock had asked her out for a date years before Oscars slap incident

Will Smith made a comeback to the awards season events on Wednesday night as he accepted the Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards, reported Variety. This is the first time Smith has attended an awards function after the debacle that was the Oscars 2022 ceremony for him. Smith was last seen in Emancipation, which received mixed reviews with many critics calling it Oscar bait. And despite that, it was not nominated for an Oscar, though apart from AAFCA honour,&nbsp;it did win Smith a trophy at NAACP Image Awards. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by William N Collage, the film follows the fascinating true story of &nbsp;Gordon and Whipped Peter, the visuals of whose whipped back took a symbolic meaning during the American Civil War.&nbsp;

Smith said at the ceremony, "Emancipation was the most individual difficult film of my entire career. It’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that, that level of inhumanity.”

<h2>How was Emancipation?</h2>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-emancipation-movie-review-self-important-and-ponderous-will-smiths-oscar-bait-is-dead-on-arrival-541578">Emancipation&nbsp;movie review: Self-important and ponderous, Will Smith's Oscar bait is dead on arrival</a>

WION's review of the film read, "A coherent film based on Whipped Peter's story could have been inspiring and rich with drama, but Emancipation watches like a film that a hypothetical machine would churn out if it was instructed to manufacture the perfect Oscar bait. It is as though Smith kept the film as a second alternative to score an Oscar nomination if 'King Richard' did not succeed. It has that "prestige" look and often seems appears to be a bad parody of one of HBO's crime dramas. Visually, the film is nearly but not exactly black-and-white, another choice probably to give the film a pretentious aesthetic but that does not justify its presence."&nbsp;

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<h2>What happened with Will Smith at Oscars 2022?</h2>

He whacked comedian and presenter Chris Rock across the face during the last year's Oscar ceremony after the latter had cracked a joke at the expense of the former's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. It might have boosted the ratings of the televised ceremony, but it became a permanent stain on the Academy's reputation.

<h2>What has been the impact of Will Smith's slap?</h2>

As a punitive measure for his act of violence, in April the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences barred Smith from Oscars and any other events organised by the Academy for a decade following a meeting of the board of governors.&nbsp;

In August last year, it was reported that Will Smith's reputation saw a steep decline due to the slap. &nbsp;As per Variety, Smith's popularity and approval ratings declined significantly following the Oscar ceremony. In the data provided by Q Scores to the publication, he was one of the top 5 or 10 rated actors in the US. But after the incident, his Q Score went down to 24 from 39. Henry Schafer, executive VP of Q Scores, said this is a significant drop. At the same time, his negative rating went up from 10 to 26.&nbsp;

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Will Smith made a comeback to the awards season events on Wednesday night as he accepted the Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards, reported Variety.

Will Smith made a comeback to the awards season events on Wednesday night as he accepted the Beacon Award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards, reported Variety. This is the first time Smith has attended an awards function after the debacle that was the Oscars 2022 ceremony for him. Smith was last seen in Emancipation, which received mixed reviews with many critics calling it Oscar bait. And despite that, it was not nominated for an Oscar, though apart from AAFCA honour, it did win Smith a trophy at NAACP Image Awards. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by William N Collage, the film follows the fascinating true story of Gordon and Whipped Peter, the visuals of whose whipped back took a symbolic meaning during the American Civil War. Smith said at the ceremony, "Emancipation was the most individual difficult film of my entire career. It’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that, that level of inhumanity.” How was Emancipation? Also Read: Emancipation movie review: Self-important and ponderous, Will Smith's Oscar bait is dead on arrival WION's review of the film read, "A coherent film based on Whipped Peter's story could have been inspiring and rich with drama, but Emancipation watches like a film that a hypothetical machine would churn out if it was instructed to manufacture the perfect Oscar bait. It is as though Smith kept the film as a second alternative to score an Oscar nomination if 'King Richard' did not succeed. It has that "prestige" look and often seems appears to be a bad parody of one of HBO's crime dramas. Visually, the film is nearly but not exactly black-and-white, another choice probably to give the film a pretentious aesthetic but that does not justify its presence." What happened with Will Smith at Oscars 2022? He whacked comedian and presenter Chris Rock across the face during the last year's Oscar ceremony after the latter had cracked a joke at the expense of the former's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. It might have boosted the ratings of the televised ceremony, but it became a permanent stain on the Academy's reputation. What has been the impact of Will Smith's slap? As a punitive measure for his act of violence, in April the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences barred Smith from Oscars and any other events organised by the Academy for a decade following a meeting of the board of governors. In August last year, it was reported that Will Smith's reputation saw a steep decline due to the slap. As per Variety, Smith's popularity and approval ratings declined significantly following the Oscar ceremony. In the data provided by Q Scores to the publication, he was one of the top 5 or 10 rated actors in the US. But after the incident, his Q Score went down to 24 from 39. Henry Schafer, executive VP of Q Scores, said this is a significant drop. At the same time, his negative rating went up from 10 to 26. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Will Smith comes back to awards stage for the first time since slapgate. Here's why

The Academy is not taking any chances at the upcoming 2023 Oscar awards after facing severe criticism over not acting on time last year when Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock.&nbsp;The organisers have announced that at the 95th Academy Awards, they will have a new 'crisis team' in place. Academy president Janet Yang previously said the group`s response to the incident was not swift enough. 
 
Speaking to Time magazine, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chief Kramer said, "we have a whole crisis team, something we`ve never had before, and many plans in place. We`ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we`re planning for just in case it does happen." 
 
He added, 'Because of last year, we've opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars. But these crisis plans -- the crisis communication teams and structures we have in place -- allow us to say, 'This is the group that we have to gather very quickly. This is how we all come together. This is the spokesperson. This will be the statement.` And obviously, depending on the specifics of the crisis, and let`s hope something doesn`t happen and we never have to use these, but we already have frameworks in place that we can modify." 
 
Smith slapped Rock at the 2022 Oscars while the latter was presenting the best documentary feature category. Rock made a controversial joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, which she shaved following an alopecia diagnosis. After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and repeatedly screamed at Rock.The Academy, which would take flak over its perceived lack of immediate action, issued a statement later that night saying it "does not condone violence in any form," and Smith apologised the next day. Smith even resigned from the Academy. Oscars 2023 is scheduled to take place on March 12.&nbsp; 
 
(With agency inputs) 
&nbsp;

The Academy is not taking any chances at the upcoming 2023 Oscar awards after facing severe criticism over not acting on time last year when Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock.

The Academy is not taking any chances at the upcoming 2023 Oscar awards after facing severe criticism over not acting on time last year when Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock. The organisers have announced that at the 95th Academy Awards, they will have a new 'crisis team' in place. Academy president Janet Yang previously said the group`s response to the incident was not swift enough. Speaking to Time magazine, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chief Kramer said, "we have a whole crisis team, something we`ve never had before, and many plans in place. We`ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we`re planning for just in case it does happen." He added, 'Because of last year, we've opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars. But these crisis plans -- the crisis communication teams and structures we have in place -- allow us to say, 'This is the group that we have to gather very quickly. This is how we all come together. This is the spokesperson. This will be the statement.` And obviously, depending on the specifics of the crisis, and let`s hope something doesn`t happen and we never have to use these, but we already have frameworks in place that we can modify." Smith slapped Rock at the 2022 Oscars while the latter was presenting the best documentary feature category. Rock made a controversial joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, which she shaved following an alopecia diagnosis. After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and repeatedly screamed at Rock.The Academy, which would take flak over its perceived lack of immediate action, issued a statement later that night saying it "does not condone violence in any form," and Smith apologised the next day. Smith even resigned from the Academy. Oscars 2023 is scheduled to take place on March 12. (With agency inputs)

Oscars awards 2023 to have a 'crisis team' following last year's Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident

At Monday's Oscar nominees luncheon, the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident&nbsp;sat front and centre. So much so that Janet Yang,&nbsp;president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,&nbsp;neither had to describe it nor had to say the names of the two parties involved in the incident.

Speaking in front of a ballroom full of award hopefuls including Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and Steven Spielberg, Yang aired her regrets for last year's "unprecedented event".

She said, "I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars. What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate."

Many feel that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did little in response to Smith storming the stage and slapping Rock across the face during last year’s Oscars telecast or in the immediate aftermath. After nearly two weeks, the&nbsp;board of governors voted to ban Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade. Smith had already preemptively resigned as an academy member.

"We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,"&nbsp;Yang said.&nbsp;"And particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-tom-cruise-makes-his-first-red-carpet-appearance-in-8-months-for-oscar-nominees-luncheon-561779">Tom Cruise makes his first red carpet appearance in 8 months for Oscar nominees luncheon</a>

Yang, who was not president at the time, was interrupted by a mild round of applause and did not elaborate further, moving on to happier topics.

She was met with whooping applause when told the nominees that all categories will be shown live on the March 12 ABC telecast. Last year, in a controversy largely eclipsed by the slap, several Oscars were handed out in a pre-telecast ceremony and edited versions of winners’ speeches were squeezed into the main show.

The luncheon is a warm, feel-good affair where nominees are in general treated with equality, and a relatively unknown nominee up for best animated short might be seated next to an A-lister up for the best actor.

Some, of course, attract more attention than others and don’t need to wear the nametags handed out to all.

Tom Cruise, nominated as a producer for best picture candidate Top Gun: Maverick, managed briefly to mix in with the crowd in a ballroom at the Beverly Hilton before he attracted a crowd of gawkers.

He and Jamie Lee Curtis, up for best supporting actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once,&nbsp;pressed their foreheads together and giggled when they bumped into each other.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/david-guetta-says-the-future-of-music-is-in-artificial-intelligence-after-using-deepfake-eminem-vocals-561766">David Guetta says the future of music is in Artificial Intelligence after using deepfake Eminem vocals</a>

He smiled widely as he posed for photos with his old War of the Worlds&nbsp;and Minority Report&nbsp;collaborator Steven Spielberg, up for best director for The Fabelmans,&nbsp;and Michelle Yeoh, up for best actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once,&nbsp;the year’s most nominated film.

In a pairing representative of the random-seeming seating chart, Odessa Rae, producer of the nominated documentary feature Navalny,&nbsp;chatted with table-mate and best actor nominee Colin Farrell during the lunch of risotto and oyster mushrooms cut to resemble scallops.

At another table nearby, Brian Tyree Henry, best-supporting actor nominee for Causeway,&nbsp;laughed with Jenny Slate, voice star of animated feature nominee Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.

The centrepiece of the luncheon is the class picture, the staging of which feels like a high school graduation. An academy governor read off the names of 182 nominees and their peers cheered as they walked up and took their spots on the risers.

"Jamie Lee Curtis," producer DeVon Franklin enunciated loudly into the mic. Curtis leapt up and got a big ovation as she climbed alone to the top tier. Henry, a first-time nominee, stood at his table, raised an arm in the air and yelped when his name was called.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/donald-trump-disses-rihannas-super-bowl-performance-calls-it-epic-fail-561777">Donald Trump disses Rihanna's Super Bowl performance; calls it 'epic fail'</a>

Ke Huy Quan, another first-timer, up for best supporting actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once,&nbsp;ran up to his spot in front and shook his fists in triumph. He hugged Babylon&nbsp;composer Justin Hurwitz, assigned to stand next to him.

Bassett, nominated for best supporting actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,&nbsp;got one of the afternoon’s biggest cheers when her name was called and hugged Cruise when she got to her spot next to him.

The luncheon also functions as an Oscar orientation for would-be winners. Yang emphasised that acceptance speeches at next month’s ceremony have to be kept to 45 seconds. "Let’s say it together, 45 seconds," she told the crowd. They repeated it back to her in unison, though at least a few are sure to forget or ignore her&nbsp;once they get the statue in their hands.

(With inputs from agencies)

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At Monday's Oscar nominees luncheon, the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident sat front and centre. So much so that Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, neither had to describe it nor had to say the names of the two parties involved in the incident.

At Monday's Oscar nominees luncheon, the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap incident sat front and centre. So much so that Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, neither had to describe it nor had to say the names of the two parties involved in the incident. Speaking in front of a ballroom full of award hopefuls including Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and Steven Spielberg, Yang aired her regrets for last year's "unprecedented event". She said, "I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars. What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate." Many feel that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did little in response to Smith storming the stage and slapping Rock across the face during last year’s Oscars telecast or in the immediate aftermath. After nearly two weeks, the board of governors voted to ban Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade. Smith had already preemptively resigned as an academy member. "We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions," Yang said. "And particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward." Also read: Tom Cruise makes his first red carpet appearance in 8 months for Oscar nominees luncheon Yang, who was not president at the time, was interrupted by a mild round of applause and did not elaborate further, moving on to happier topics. She was met with whooping applause when told the nominees that all categories will be shown live on the March 12 ABC telecast. Last year, in a controversy largely eclipsed by the slap, several Oscars were handed out in a pre-telecast ceremony and edited versions of winners’ speeches were squeezed into the main show. The luncheon is a warm, feel-good affair where nominees are in general treated with equality, and a relatively unknown nominee up for best animated short might be seated next to an A-lister up for the best actor. Some, of course, attract more attention than others and don’t need to wear the nametags handed out to all. Tom Cruise, nominated as a producer for best picture candidate Top Gun: Maverick, managed briefly to mix in with the crowd in a ballroom at the Beverly Hilton before he attracted a crowd of gawkers. He and Jamie Lee Curtis, up for best supporting actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, pressed their foreheads together and giggled when they bumped into each other. Also read: David Guetta says the future of music is in Artificial Intelligence after using deepfake Eminem vocals He smiled widely as he posed for photos with his old War of the Worlds and Minority Report collaborator Steven Spielberg, up for best director for The Fabelmans, and Michelle Yeoh, up for best actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, the year’s most nominated film. In a pairing representative of the random-seeming seating chart, Odessa Rae, producer of the nominated documentary feature Navalny, chatted with table-mate and best actor nominee Colin Farrell during the lunch of risotto and oyster mushrooms cut to resemble scallops. At another table nearby, Brian Tyree Henry, best-supporting actor nominee for Causeway, laughed with Jenny Slate, voice star of animated feature nominee Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. The centrepiece of the luncheon is the class picture, the staging of which feels like a high school graduation. An academy governor read off the names of 182 nominees and their peers cheered as they walked up and took their spots on the risers. "Jamie Lee Curtis," producer DeVon Franklin enunciated loudly into the mic. Curtis leapt up and got a big ovation as she climbed alone to the top tier. Henry, a first-time nominee, stood at his table, raised an arm in the air and yelped when his name was called. Also read: Donald Trump disses Rihanna's Super Bowl performance; calls it 'epic fail' Ke Huy Quan, another first-timer, up for best supporting actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once, ran up to his spot in front and shook his fists in triumph. He hugged Babylon composer Justin Hurwitz, assigned to stand next to him. Bassett, nominated for best supporting actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, got one of the afternoon’s biggest cheers when her name was called and hugged Cruise when she got to her spot next to him. The luncheon also functions as an Oscar orientation for would-be winners. Yang emphasised that acceptance speeches at next month’s ceremony have to be kept to 45 seconds. "Let’s say it together, 45 seconds," she told the crowd. They repeated it back to her in unison, though at least a few are sure to forget or ignore her once they get the statue in their hands. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Oscars response to 'Will Smith slapgate' inadequate, academy head says