Jada Pinkett Smith Says Will Was 'Mad' When Chris Rock Tried Apologizing Directly After Oscars Slap

"Chris looks to me and he says, 'Jada, I meant no harm,' " Jada told Hoda Kotb in an interviewing that airs in full Friday night on NBC

Jada Pinkett Smith is revealing Will Smith's reaction to Chris Rock attempting to apologize to her in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Oscars incident.

In a preview from her chat with Hoda Kotb airing in full Friday night on NBC, the Worthy author recalled how Chris, 58, approached her at the Academy Awards following the moment Will, 55, hit him onstage, after the comedian made a joke about Jada's shaved head.

“Chris looks to me and he says, ‘Jada, I meant no harm,' " said Jada, 52. “I'm just out of it because I'm really worried about Will. And Will's still talking. Now he’s mad because Chris is talking to me. And I go, ‘Chris, this is about some old s---.’ That’s all I could think of saying, right? And I couldn’t really take in his apology.”

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Related: Jada Pinkett Smith Says She Thought Oscars Slap Was 'a Skit'... 'Until I Realized It Wasn't' (Exclusive)

Jada also addressed the moment in a wide-ranging interview with PEOPLE.

"Chris came down to the end of the stage and tried to apologize to me," she told PEOPLE. "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’ve got to leave that to Will and Chris to talk about, but they got their stuff for sure," added Jada.

A rep for Chris did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Jada said she was so caught off guard that she thought the slap "was a skit” at first.

"From where I was sitting I couldn't tell. It didn't look like Will hit Chris, because, number one, I'd seen Will in the boxing ring with pro fighters — Will's a heavy-hitter," she said.

"So when Chris moved, it looked like he ducked or he missed the shot. And when he continued to stand, and then when he continued to walk down to the end of the stage, I was like, ‘There's no way. There's no way that Will hit him.’ ”

“It wasn't until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasn't a skit," added Jada. "I was in as much of a fog as anybody else in that room that night.”

Related: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Relationship Timeline

Jada also reveals in her book that Chris once asked her out on a date, telling 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?’ " she continued. "He was like, ‘Well, aren't you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumors.’ "

"He was appalled. And he profusely apologized and that was that," the actress added.

Jada's full interview with Kotb airs in full Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Her new memoir, Worthy, hits bookshelves everywhere Oct. 17.

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