Returning to normal? Will Smith was spotted on a sushi date with wife Jada Pinkett Smith, the first public outing since the Oscars.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, 53, was seen wearing a navy golf shirt with a matching baseball cap and trousers while leaving Nobu in Malibu, California. The Red Table Talk host, 50, was right behind Smith, keeping one hand on her husband’s back as she followed him to the car. She was wearing a black outfit with a red flannel shirt tied around her waist. Pinkett Smith topped off the look with sunglasses and hoop earrings.
Smith hasn’t made many public ventures since his March showdown with Chris Rock. During the ceremony, the 57-year-old comedian joked that Pinkett Smith — who married the Men In Black star in 1997 — should star in a G.I. Jane sequel due to her shaved head. (The Maryland native has been candid about her struggles with alopecia and hair loss.) Smith marched on stage and smacked Rock, 57, across the face.
“Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me,” the South Carolina native said in censored footage that later circulated online. As Smith returned to his seat, he was heard yelling at Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth.”
Moments later, the Philadelphia native won Best Actor for his role in King Richard.
The Concussion actor later issued an apology for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” actions, writing via Instagram in March, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
He continued: “I would also like to apologize to The Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”
At the time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences determined that Smith, who resigned from the organization, would be banned from all Oscars events for 10 years.
In April, Smith was photographed in public for the first time since the slap and was taking selfies with fans during a trip to Mumbai, India, on a vacation that he and his wife had planned long before the awards show.
Meanwhile, Pinkett Smith addressed the controversy on her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk. “Now about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile,” the Matrix Reloaded star shared on a June episode, adding, “The state of the world today, we need them both. And we all actually need one another more than ever.”
The Wicked Wisdom front woman noted that she’ll continue to support her husband. “Until then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years, and that’s keep figuring out this thing called life together,” Pinkett Smith added at the time. “Thank you for listening.”
In late July, the Ali actor once again addressed the slap heard around the world. “I’ve spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment,” he explained in a July 29 upload via Instagram. “I’m not gonna try to unpack all of that right now. But I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
Smith noted that Rock has turned down requests speak with him. The Oscar winner also clarified that his wife did not influence his decision to slap the comedian. “I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” he continued.
A source told Us Weekly exclusively that the Gotham star urged her husband to address the conflict again.
“Jada has also been pushing Will to apologize because it has become this really dark cloud over her Red Table Talk series,” the insider shared with Us, noting Smith “never wanted to” publicly apologize but there was a constant wait for “any mention of that moment.”
Scroll down to see photos from their Malibu outing:
