Jada Pinkett Smith Makes Her First Public Appearance Since Will Smith Oscars Slap

BYHayley HynesUpdated on September 26, 202212.4K Views

Jada Pinkett Smith

The mother of two attended an event in support of her good friends Debbie Allen and Shonda Rhimes.

Jada Pinkett Smith is stepping back into the spotlight. Following a tumultuous end to the month of March, The Matrix actress spent the first week of April recuperating and discussing the events that went down at the 94th Academy Awards with her now-banned husband, Will Smith.

As TMZ reports, on Saturday (April 9th) night, Pinkett Smith flew solo while supporting her gal pals, Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen while attending the gala for the opening of the Rhimes Performing Arts Centre in Los Angeles.

Jada Pinkett Smith Makes Her First Public Appearance Since Will Smith Oscars Slap

Presley Ann/Getty Images

"@therealdebbieallen said wrap it all in gold and come let the kids fill your soul," the mother of two captioned an animated photo on her Instagram feed showing off her glamourous outfit of the night. "Congrats Debbie on the opening of your Debbie Allen Dance Academy @officialdadance!"

"You are the legacy that so many other legacies will stand upon," she continued. "Thank you for ALL that you do."

It's been noted that Pinkett Smith spent her evening mingling with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, LeTanya Richardson Jackson.

A post shared by Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapinkettsmith)

Although Will wasn't in attendance, he himself has an interesting connection to the event venue – a studio within the Debbie Allen Dance Academy was named after him and Jada.

The 50-year-old has kept quiet on "The Slap" so far, although her husband did share that he "accepts and respects" the Academy's decision to ban him from all events for a decade for slapping Chris Rock at this year's ceremony.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Read what Chris Rock has been saying about all the drama lately here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

[Via]

About The Author

Hayley Hynes

Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.