Red Table Talk has addressed the Oscars slap by not addressing it in the Facebook Watch series’ Season 5 premiere.
Landing on the web platform on Wednesday, April 20, the installment featuring guest Janelle Monáe opened with a brief message revealing that Jada Pinkett Smith wouldn’t be addressing the Oscars slap that occurred between her husband Will and Chris Rock, but promised it would be addressed at a later date.
“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing,” the message begins. “Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls.”
(Credit: Facebook Watch)
In the meantime, Pinkett Smith’s statement noted, “The table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredible impressive first guest.” Considering this is the show’s first episode for the season, it’s unclear if this episode was taped before the events of the 94th Academy Awards at the end of March.
And while the show avoided the topic of interest for its return installment, the brief recognition at the beginning suggests that Pinkett Smith will more directly address the slap down the line. Along with Pinkett Smith, the Emmy and NAACP Image Award-winning series features her daughter Willow Smith and mother Adrienne Banfield Norris as her co-hosts.
Over the show’s run, which began in 2018, guests have included performers, activists, and other public figures — including Will Smith, who has taken a seat at the table before. For those who may have missed the highly-debated subject of the Oscars slap, the incident involved Will slapping presenter Chris Rock after he made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. The reaction to Rock’s joke led Will to resign from his position at the Academy and landed him a 10-year ban from attending the Oscars.
Stay tuned as this season of Red Table Talk continues to see if the show addresses the incident more deeply. Until then, viewers can check out Season 5’s first installment on Facebook Watch now.
Red Table Talk, Season 5, Facebook Watch
