Jada Pinkett Smith has described a phone call from Chris Rock in which the comedian asked her out on a date after he heard rumors that her marriage to Will Smith was ending. The story first appeared in 2023 during promotion of her memoir but resurfaced this week in a widely shared social media video that incorrectly places the exchange after the 2022 Academy Awards slap. Public discussion once again centers on the Smiths long scrutinized relationship and the timing of such revelations.
She recounted the exchange this way:
I think every summer, all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce.
And Chris just, he thought that we were getting a divorce.
So he called me and he was like, hey.
You know, basically he was like, I’d love to take you out.
And I was like, what do you mean?
He was like, well, aren’t you and Will getting a divorce?
And I was like, no.
I was like, Chris, those are just rumors.
He’s like, oh my.
I mean, he was appalled.
You know what I mean?
The call took place in the summer of 2016 when tabloid reports about an impending divorce from Will Smith were circulating widely. Pinkett Smith told Rock the stories were untrue, and he reacted with immediate regret. He offered a profuse apology before the conversation ended.
Records show the Smiths had in fact begun living separately around that same period though they continued to appear together publicly for years afterward. The 2022 Oscars moment in which Will Smith struck Chris Rock onstage added new layers to their already complex public narrative. Yet the dating request itself has no connection to that night or its aftermath.
This latest viral wave illustrates how celebrity personal disclosures continue to spark intense online debate. Many observers note that Pinkett Smiths openness about private matters often draws criticism for its effect on her husband while others see it as an authentic reflection of their unconventional partnership. The pattern of repeated storytelling keeps the couples dynamic in the spotlight long after initial events.
For the full context of her original account readers can review the 2023 interview. Details about the Academy Awards incident and its immediate effects appear in official coverage from the event organizers. Additional background on the Smiths relationship timeline is available through verified biographical sources on the couple.
