LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Jada Pinkett Smith made her first public reference today about Sunday's altercation at the Oscars, in which her husband, actor Will Smith, slapped and cursed at comedian Chris Rock during the live telecast for making a joke about her bald head.
"This is a season for healing and I'm here for it," the 50-year-old actress posted on Instagram. She did not elaborate.
Will Smith issued a public apology Monday, while the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced it will conduct a formal review of the incident and consider possible "consequences" for the best-actor winner.
Rock has not commented and has not filed a report against Smith.
Meanwhile, comedians and others are coming to Rock's defense and assailing the "King Richard" star. The Laugh Factory in Hollywood changed its marquee to display a picture of Rock alongside the statement: "Laugh Factory supports First Amendment rights for all comedians. The comedy community loves & supports you Chris."
Actor and former standup comedian Jim Carrey eviscerated both Smith and the audience at Sunday's ceremony for giving the star a standing ovation when he won the best actor award less than an hour after storming the stage.
"I was sickened," Carrey told CBS' Gayle King. "I was sickened by the standing ovation. Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren't the cool club anymore."
"I'd have announced this morning that I was suing Will for $200 million because that video is going to be there forever, it's going to be ubiquitous," Carrey continued. "That insult is gonna last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter (that's fine). But you do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face because they said words."
Richard Williams, the father of Compton tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and the man portrayed by Smith in his Oscar-winning role, issued a statement through his son that condemned violence.
"We don't know all the details of what happened," his son Chavoita LeSane told NBC News. "But we don't condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it's in self-defense."
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