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Jada Pinkett Smith Finally Opens Up About Assault That Got Husband Will Banned From Oscars

Jada Pinkett Smith addresses her husband's assault of Chris Rock
on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk."
Over two months after actor Will Smith seemingly had a flashback to his Oscar-nominated role as Muhammad Ali, taking to the stage mid-segment to deliver a blow to host Chris Rock, his wife is finally speaking out about the incident, which was sparked by a joke about her hair.

Actress and singer Jada Pinkett Smith, best known for her roles in "The Matrix" series of movies and "Girls Trip", used the opening seconds of "Red Table Talk" to address the March 27 assault on the comedian by her husband.

"Now, about Oscar night, my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity
to heal, talk this out, and reconcile," Pinkett Smith said, referring to the drama that played out after Smith took a bald joke by Rock as a character made famous by Demi Moore as a sleight toward his wife, who suffers from alopecia areata and was sporting a short shorn hairdo.

She added, "The state of the world today, we need them both, and we all actually need one another more than ever. 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."

The drama began when Rock said "Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it," referring to the 1997 film in which Demi Moore sported a buzzcut, during his monologue. Smith walked briskly on the stage and delivered a hard slap that shook the comedian before returning to his seat and yelling, "Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth."

Celebrity-watchers had been waiting to hear from Pinkett Smith since the "slap seen around the world." Smith, who avoided charges and later returned to the stage to win his first Academy Award for his portrayal of tennis family patriarch Richard Williams in the movie "King Richard," was later banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.

Previously, Pinkett Smith had shared an Instagram post, many deduced was about the dustup, which said, "This is a season for healing and I’m here for it," but her comments to open the fifth season of her popular Facebook Watch advice show, hosted along with her daughter Willow and mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris, was her first time to address the matter directly.

Pinkett Smith followed up the statement with a show addressing alopecia. Her guests included the mother of 12-year-old, Rio Allred, a girl who was bullied over her hair loss and died by suicide just weeks before the melee at the Oscars, and a physician who explained the different types of the disorder.

Kevin Hart Launches Global Multi-Platform Company HARTBEAT With $100 Million Investment

HARTBEAT’s Chief Content Officer Bryan Smiley, Chairman Kevin Hart, CEO Thai Randolph and Chief Distribution Officer Jeff Clanagan.


Kevin Hart is laughing all the way to the bank.

The stand-up comedian turned movie star has proven he has what it takes to shine in the business world as well.

Tuesday, he announced, thanks to a $100 million investment from private equity firm Abry Partners, the expansion of his already formidable media empire.

The new venture, born of a merger of his two current production companies, Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions, will simply be called HARTBEAT.

'"The creation of HARTBEAT and our capital raise with Abry represent a new era in comedy," said Hart in a statement released by the company about the deal. 

"This all started out with a mission to keep the world laughing together, and I'm so proud our teams have delivered on that, putting in the hard work to build the most innovative and inclusive comedic storytelling company."

The new company is reportedly valued at over $650 million. Abry's minority stake in it equates to about 15%. Hart will act as chairman. The existing leadership team from both entities will continue to oversee day-to-day operations. Thai Randolph, who had been the chief operating officer of both Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions, was named chief executive.

HARTBEAT will use the investment to grow existing brands, produce new content and grow its team.

"At HARTBEAT, we're building an end-to-end entertainment enterprise that creates, markets and distributes the most culturally relevant IP and experiences in comedy and beyond. The merger and capital raise help us further scale and invest in the future of comedic entertainment, creating more high demand content and experiences at the intersection of comedy and culture," Randolph stated.

Abry Partners partner Nicolas Massard will be joining the HARTBEAT board as part of the deal. NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, which took an equity stake in Laugh Out Loud in 2020, will remain a shareholder.

The company has 60 projects in various stages of development across various platforms, and in addition to a first-look deal with Peacock, boasts several other strategic multi-year partnerships. HARTBEAT has a film deal with Netflix, a partnership with SiriusXM, and a deal with Audible in partnership with multimedia star Charlamagne Tha God.

Upcoming projects for the company include "Me Time," a Netflix movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Regina Hall, "Storytown" on HBOMax and an Apple TV+ documentary, "#1 on the Call Sheet."

Will Smith Gets 10-Year Oscars' Ban for Slapping Chris Rock

The slap heard, and seen, around much of the world, continues to have new ramifications for embattled Oscar winner Will Smith. 

Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' board of governors handed the actor a 10-year ban from attending the ceremony. It was the first punitive action taken by anybody, including the Los Angeles Police Department, against the star.

Smith, 53, walked onstage and struck Rock during the March 27 ceremony for telling a bald joke about the rapper-turned-actor's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere.
Rock, 57, was approached by officers from the LAPD after the slap. He declined to press charges, and moments later Smith returned to the stage to accept his first Oscar, on his third nomination, for his performance as the father of tennis icons Serena and Venus William in the biopic about his life, "King Richard."

By the following day, Smith had left a long and seemingly heartfelt apology on Instagram.

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," the post read.
"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."
 
It 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. I am a work in progress."

While Rock has remained mum on the subject, refusing to talk about the incident, the apology proved lacking to the Academy which said in a letter sent by President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, the organization decided "for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."

"This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith's behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted," the statement continued. 

Smith's response to the judgment was swift and simple. 

"I accept and respect the Academy's decision," he told Page Six Friday.

Accepting his punishment without a fight was not enough to end the drama for Smith, who can still be nominated for his work. Over the weekend, several prominent entertainment voices were speaking out in favor of more severe punishment. 

Harry Lennix, an actor known for his bit roles in movies like "Ray" and "Justice League," as well as a plethora of roles across his career on the stage and television screen, went so far as to write a guest column for Variety urging Smith to voluntarily return his Oscar statuette for best actor.

"At this point, the only person who can redeem the integrity of the Oscars is Smith himself," Lennix, 53, wrote, adding, "Smith's brutality stripped the entire evening of its prestige."

"The stain on the Motion Picture Academy cannot be easily remediated. The only hope for a justifiable grace must involve Smith voluntarily returning his award for best actor," he added.

Will Smith Wins First Oscar After Slapping Chris Rock

A screengrab of the slap from the Oscars' live broadcast.

Diddy Says Beef Between the Duo Has Already Been Squashed

What did the five fingers say to the face?

Comedian Chris Rock, 57, found out that times may have changed, but the answer to the old punchline remains the same.

While performing a comedy bit during the Oscars Sunday night, the Grammy winner made a joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith, which did not go over well with her Oscar-nominated husband Will.

Seconds later, the 53-year-old rapper-turned-actor charged the stage and delivered a stinging rebuke — in the form of a pimp-slap during the live broadcast.

Following the altercation, clearly stunned, Rock said, “Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me."

Smith, who had returned to his seat, yelled at Rock to"Keep my wife's name out your f—ing mouth!
Celebrities in the audience as well as those following along at home seemed not to know how to react at first, but the dawning realization that the slap was real and not a bit between the two usually amicable celebrities set in fast. 
So, what got the artist formerly known as The Fresh Prince all riled up?

Until Smith makes his thoughts known on the subject, one can only speculate. The incident, however, did take place moments after Rock joked about his wife looking like “G.I. Jane.” 

“Jada, I love ya. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock said. The joke was an obvious one but probably one best left out of the routine, considering that Pinkett Smith has spoken openly about having alopecia (a hair-loss condition) and the physical and mental stress it has caused in her life.


Regardless of why it happened, it seems that the two have managed to squash the beef. Rock refused to file a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department. Shortly after the dustup, Smith won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in “King Richard," and Sean “Diddy” Combs confirmed to Page Six  Sunday night at the Vanity Fair Oscar party that the duo had already made amends.

“That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that,” Diddy, 52, said.

"It’s all love,” he added. “They’re brothers.”
Smith, who apologized to everyone except Rock, in his speech following his first-ever Oscar win, definitely seemed to be over it. He celebrated the night away, dancing and singing along to some of his biggest hits as a musician. 

"Fast and Furious' Franchise Star, Tyrese Gibson, Loses Mother to Covid-19 Complications

While others were celebrating the loves of their life this past Valentine’s Day, actor Tyrese Gibson took to Instagram to share the loss of one of his with the world.

In a solemn video posted on the site, the 43-year-old “Fast and Furious” movie franchise star mourned the loss of his mother Priscilla Murray, who died on Monday after being hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia the previous week.

"On behalf of my family and everyone who ever spent anytime praying for my mother, this is the saddest moment of my life," Gibson captioned the clip. "My sweet Valentine just passed away."

The video features the actor holding his unresponsive mother’s hand.

"Rest in peace mom," he says with tears in his voice. "You fought, mom. You fought. Oh my god, I'm so sorry this happened, mom, Jesus."



Gibson added, "I'm gonna hold your hand for the rest of my life, OK? Everywhere I go, I'm gonna hold your hand the way you held my hand when I was a kid."

The heartbreaking scene was the end of a sad and short saga that begin on Feb. 7 when Gibson shared that his mother was hospitalized and asked his fans to pray for her.

"My mother is in a coma, in ICU, with Pneumonia and she caught Covid they got her so sedated she can't breathe or even eat on her own," he explained in an Instagram post. "This has been going on all week I haven't posted [I'm doing it this time cause I feel helpless this is my cry for help."

"Please guys praise you pray and even write out the prayers in the comments so that me and my family can read and be encouraged," Gibson said. "I feel helpless and need my prayer warriors to cover my mother please please keep her father God she's got so much more to do…"

Despite being clearly deep in mourning Gibson expressed thanks to jazz artist Kenny G. The legendary saxophonist played "Forever in Love" during an Instagram Live for Gibson and his mom while in the hospital.

"Dear @kennyg I will never ever forget what you did for our beloved mother you sent her into the heavens with the perfect melody………." he wrote. "I am going to watch this clip over and over and remember that you sent her into the heavens on the sweetest Melodies…."

Beyoncé Biopic Ballad 'Be Alive' Earns Singer First Oscar Nomination

Kristopher Harris via Wikimedia Commons

Music megastar Beyoncé has 28 Grammy Awards, more than any other performer in history, and tied with legendary producer Quincy Jones for the most overall — but Tuesday the 40-year-old singer found a new frontier to conquer.

Her song, "Be Alive," which she co-wrote with songwriter Dixon for the Will Smith-led biopic "King Richard" about the life of Venus and Serena Williams' father, Richard Williams, earned the artist her first Academy Award nomination.

The nomination was one of six Oscar nods for the movie announced by actor-comedian Leslie Jordan and actor, CEO and producer Tracee Ellis Ross Tuesday via a global live stream as they revealed the nominees for the 94th edition of the Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Will Smith as Richard Williams.

The moment may have been bittersweet for Beyoncé, whose husband Jay-Z didn't make the cut in the same category with "Guns Go Bang," from the black cowboy Netflix epic “The Harder They Fall," but it was well deserved according to the daughter of the film's subject Serena Williams.


 
"When the film came out, there was no other person that could do this song except for Beyoncé. I feel like we've had a similar path in our lives. We've trained since an early age to reach a goal," the tennis pro shared while on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in November, about approaching Beyoncé, whom she's collaborated with before about doing the original song for the movie. "For us it was really only one answer, and she embraced that. There was no doubt in her mind that it belonged to her as well. The original song is amazing, and I love it."

Check out the video below for the complete list of nominations or go to oscars.com.

  

Kanye West Documentary 'Jeen-Yuhs' to Debut on Big Screen Ahead of Netflix Release

Courtesy of Netflix

Act 1 of “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” the controversial upcoming Netflix three-part documentary about rapper Kanye West’s rise to fame is getting a theatrical release.

Feb. 10, a week before its Feb. 16 debut on the streaming service kicks off a three-week event centered around the documentary’s three parts, fans will have a chance to see the opening arc — focused on the artist's early years — in more than 1,100 theaters across the nation.

Filmmakers Clarence "Coodie" Simmons and Chike Ozah praised Netflix for working with them to share it in theatres.

"As filmmakers, it's a blessing to have our work presented on the big screen," they said in a statement announcing the news Friday.

It is a big move for the movie, chronicling over 20 years of West’s career and highlighting his progression from rapper to businessman and eventually presidential candidate. In January, two days ahead of the film’s anticipated premiere at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, the mercurial artist demanded final cut approval over the documentary.

"I'm going to say this kindly for the last time. I must get final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix,” the 44-year-old rapper wrote in an Instagram post.


West continued, "Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image. Thank you in advance."

In response, Simmons and Ozah told the New York Post, "We're still trying to work things out with Kanye and his team." Later the duo confirmed to Variety that West’s demands would not be met.

Tickets are on sale online at jeen-yuhs-tickets.com. A new trailer for the documentary was also released and can be seen below.

Oscar-Winning Actress Regina King's Only Child, Ian Alexander Jr., Dies at 26

Photo Credit @desdune Instagram

After several news outlets broke the story Saturday morning, Oscar-winning actress Regina King confirmed that her son, Ian Alexander Jr., died by suicide Wednesday on his 26th birthday.

"Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," King said in a statement provided by her representative.

"He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

A musician and DJ, Alexander is the son of Ian Alexander Sr. and King who were married in 1997 and together 10 years before divorcing.

The younger Alexander performed under the name “desduné,” according to his Instagram page. His most recent single, "Green Eyes," was released on Jan. 7.



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