“They stick together no matter what,” says an insider. “They’ve been through a lot together, and this is just another battle for them.”
The 50-year-old Red Table Talk co-host “absolutely loves and adores” her 53-year-old husband, despite his controversial actions at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, a source tells us, noting that they are “an unbreakable couple [who] will be together forever. ”
Last month, Smith received a backlash after slapping host Chris Rock during the Oscars telecast on March 27 for making a joke about Pinkett Smith. After the “Saturday Night Live” show, the 57-year-old actor said he was thrilled to see the “Scream 2” actress in a potential G.I. movie sequel to Jane, referring to her bald spot, Smith stormed onto the stage and attacked Rock. (Pinkett Smith, for her part, openly talked about suffering from alopecia.)
As soon as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air graduate returned to his seat, he started yelling at the comedian. “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” Smith shouted twice before a stunned Rock tried to return to his hosting duties.
Later during the show, the “King Richard” star apologized to the Academy and his fellow actors during his acceptance speech for Best Actor. At that time, he did not turn to Rock.
On March 28, Smith issued a public apology to the “Adult” actor via social media, writing: “Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. …I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. My behavior at yesterday’s Academy Awards ceremony was unacceptable and inexcusable. …I was not okay, and I was wrong.”
A source later told us that Smith did not address Rock personally after hitting him on stage. However, the “Men in Black” actor has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences amid the official review of the incident by the organization.
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony were shocking, painful and unforgivable. The list of those I have offended is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, everyone present and the global audience at home,” Smith said in a statement on Friday, April 1, explaining that he wanted to “return attention to those who deserve attention for their achievements.”.
He concluded: “So, I am resigning my membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will accept any further consequences that the Council deems appropriate.”
Rock, for his part, returned to his comedy tour, which began on March 30 in Boston, where he broke his silence for the first time about the Oscar scandal.
“I’m still thinking about what happened,” he told the audience at the time. After receiving applause from the audience, Rock added, “You’re all going to make me bleary my eyes and shit.”
According to the source, Pinkett Smith, on the other hand, “just wants to move on.” “She doesn’t want to be the center of attention, she doesn’t want her husband to be the center of attention,” an insider tells us.
According to the source, the Gotham graduate, who married Smith in 1997, was similarly caught off guard by what happened at the awards ceremony last week.
“She saw how the night went — no one saw it,” the insider adds. “He was winning one of the most important awards of his life, and the whole evening was dedicated to Will and Chris, [and] neither of them wanted it. She hopes they can move on.”
