Though we are indeed coming up on three months since the Oscars slap, the incident remains fodder for headlines, namely of the reaction variety. Such is the case with recent remarks from Vivica A. Fox, who addressed the topic while hosting the Wendy Williams Show this week.
As previously reported, the slap recently received some Red Table Talk attention as part of an episode focused on alopecia, with Jada Pinkett Smith saying she and Will Smith will continue to work toward “figuring out this thing called life together.” Asked what she thought of Jada’s comments at the 6:48 mark in the video above, Fox—who, of course, has worked alongside Jada and Will in the past—pointed out what she argues is a lack of accountability.
“This is going to be difficult for me,” she said during her extended response, which, at one point, saw her growing tearful. “These are my peers. I’ve done a movie with both of them. Set It Off with Jada and Independence Day with Will Smith, which absolutely changed my life. When I saw this video last night, it made me cry.”
From there, Vivica spoke on what she believes “a good partner” should do in a situation like this. She also mentioned Chris Rock, arguing that the alopecia joke that preceded the slap was mild.
“Will Smith that night, as far as I was concerned, was going to be crowned this generation’s Sidney Poitier, which is a huge honor,” she said. “I felt to be a good partner, there was no accountability. Will Smith was defending her honor. That was why—the reason he walked onstage and slapped—because he felt like his wife had been offended. So for me to see no accountability as a partner. … Also let’s not forget that Chris Rock was assaulted—we cannot forget that—for basically telling a joke that I really felt wasn’t that bad.”
After shouting out producer Will Packer and other creatives involved with the larger behind-the-scenes infrastructure that makes the Oscars possible, Fox noted she has “love” for the Smith family but reiterated her stance that “more accountability” should have been seen in the latest comments.
“I know their children. I’ve watched them grow up,” she said. “I just wish that we could have a little bit more accountability and for it to not seem so self-righteous on Jada’s part.”
While this week’s Red Table Talk marked the first time Jada had directly addressed the slap, she was previously assumed to have been indirectly commenting on the situation with an Instagram post about entering “a season for healing.”
