Vivica A. Fox criticizes Jada Pinkett Smith's 'self-righteous' response to Oscars slap

Days after Jada Pinkett Smith finally spoke out about Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap on her Facebook show Red Table Talk, Vivica A. Fox has shared her reaction to the highly anticipated and emotionally charged episode.

While guest -hosting The Wendy Williams Show on Thursday alongside Carson Kressley, a choked-up Fox told the audience that talking about the incident was "going to be difficult" for her because of her relationship with the actors, who are both her former costars.

"When I saw this video last night, it made me cry. I'll be very honest with you guys," Fox started. "We were all rooting for Will Smith that night. We wanted him to win. 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."

But, she went on, "I felt like to be a good partner, there was no accountability… Let's not forget that Chris Rock was assaulted... for basically telling a joke that I really felt wasn't that bad."

On Wednesday, just over two months after the moment that defined the 2022 Academy Awards show, Pinkett Smith addressed viewers of Red Table Talk by making a call to action for her husband and Chris Rock, whom Smith slapped on stage, to reconcile. "Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years," she added, "and that's keep figuring out this thing called life together."

For Fox, the comment was a disappointment. Noting that Smith was defending Pinkett Smith's honor when he stormed the stage and slapped Rock, she admitted to her own audience that she didn't think Pinkett Smith had exhibited enough accountability.

Leon Bennett/Getty Images; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Vivica A. Fox and Jada Pinkett Smith

"I have love for the Smiths. I know their children, I've watched them grow up...I just wish that we could have had a little bit more accountability and for it to not seem so self-righteous on Jada's part," she told her audience. "And that's my feeling."

Aside from a brief reference to the slap in a written title card during Red Table Talk's April 5 premiere, Wednesday's episode marked the first time Pinkett Smith has opened up about the incident. Rock has not addressed it aside from a joke after fellow comedian Dave Chapelle was attacked on stage by an audience member at a recent comedy show.

Smith, who apologized for his actions both during his Best Actor acceptance speech at the awards show and later in a social media post, voluntarily resigned from the Academy after board members declared that the actor would be banned from Academy-related events for the next 10 years.

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