Source Close to Jada Pinkett Smith Says Chris Rock Is 'Obsessed'

Source says actress 'had no part' in this whole thing
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 7, 2023 2:26 AM CST
Source Close to Jada Pinkett Smith Says Chris Rock Is 'Obsessed'
Jada Pinkett Smith arrives at the premiere of "Emancipation" on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.   (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

A source close to Jada Pinkett Smith is responding to Chris Rock's controversial Netflix special, in which the comedian addresses the infamous moment at last year's Academy Awards ceremony when Will Smith took to the stage to hit host Rock for his mockery of Smith's wife. Rock insists Pinkett Smith "started it" when it comes to his beef with her, but, "Jada has had no part in all of this other than being heckled. Chris is obsessed with her and that's been going on for almost 30 years," the source tells People, adding that Rock even filmed the Netflix special, in which he calls Pinkett Smith a "b----," in her hometown, Baltimore.

"Back in 2016 she helped start a movement with the Academy Awards by questioning why there are so few Black members, and Chris took it to this?" the source continues, referring to Pinkett Smith's #OscarsSoWhite involvement. Rock says she told him he should boycott his hosting gig for the ceremony that year, but the source pushes back on that narrative: "She never asked Chris to not host the Oscars ever. She publicly said in a Facebook post at the time Chris would be a great Oscars host and is perfect for the job." As for the claim that Rock has been obsessed with Pinkett Smith for three decades, in a piece last year tracing Rock's comments about her, the Daily Beast reported Rock did indeed first mock the actress back in 1997, focusing then on her involvement with the Million Women March. (More Jada Pinkett Smith stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X