Jada Pinkett Smith opens up after slap: ‘Never know what people are going through’

Jada Pinkett Smith is getting emotional after taping a new installment of “Red Table Talk,” telling fans, “You never know what people are going through.”

The 50-year-old actress took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a lengthy written post, accompanied by a teaser of her show’s forthcoming episode.

“There is so much more that lies beneath us all, that our assumptions about one another and perceptions can not meet,” Pinkett Smith proclaimed.

“When we think we know . . . we block our chance to truly see someone who may need to be seen in a different way than how they are presenting themselves,” she mused.

The star was specifically referencing her “Red Table Talk” interview with April Simpkins — the mom of the late Miss USA Cheslie Kryst — which is set to drop on Facebook Watch on Wednesday.

Jada Pinkett Smith is telling fans to question their assumptions of others, saying: "You never know what people are going through."
Jada Pinkett Smith is telling fans to question their assumptions of others, saying: “You never know what people are going through.”
Red Table Talk/Facebook

However, her words could be construed as a subtle message to fans amid rampant speculation about the state of her relationship with husband, Will, in the wake of his Oscars meltdown.

Indeed, the Instagram post is the most that the actress has publicly written since her spouse stormed the stage at the March 27 ceremony, spectacularly slapping comedian Chris Rock across the face after he made a joke at Pinkett Smith’s expense.

In a separate teaser for the new “Red Table Talk” episode, released on Facebook, Pinkett Smith joins her daughter, Willow Smith, 21, and mom, Adrienne Banfield Norris, 68, to interview a bereaved Simpkins.

Simpkins’ beauty queen daughter, Kryst, 30, plunged to her death from her Manhattan apartment building in January, following a battle with severe depression.

Kryst was a high-profile contributor to TV program “Extra,” with her death prompting an outpouring of grief from stars including Billy Bush and Gayle King.

Cheslie Kryst's mom, April Simpkins, is seen at left on the new episode of "Red Table Talk," alongside Andrea Banfield Norris.
Cheslie Kryst’s mom, April Simpkins, is seen at left on the new episode of “Red Table Talk,” alongside Adrienne Banfield Norris.
Red Table Talk/Facebook
Kryst won the Miss USA crown in 2019. Her bubbly demeanor disguised her secret battle with depression.
Kryst won the Miss USA crown in 2019. Her bubbly demeanor disguised her secret battle with depression.
AP

In the teaser, Simpkins says Kryst’s bubbly demeanor disguised her inner demons.

“I think what shocks so many people is when you saw her on television, she was smiling, she was bubbly,” Simpkins states. “That was Cheslie, but Cheslie was also battling depression, which she hid.”

“Did you see any preliminary signs?” Willow Smith asks the distraught mom, who responds: “I did, I knew, but I didn’t know the severity of it.”

Cheslie Kryst with her mother April Simpkins
Simpkins is seen with her daughter back in 2019.
Instagram / Cheslie Kryst

“She was taking all the right steps . . . seeing a counsellor, getting good sleep at night,” she stated. “She knew all the steps to take.”

Simpkins additionally revealed that her daughter had previously attempted suicide, but appeared to be getting better before her tragic death.

Back in February, Simpkins released a statement about her daughter’s death saying: “I have never known a pain as deep as this. I am forever changed.”

“You were more than a daughter – you were my very best friend. Talking with you was one of the best parts of my day. Your smile and laugh were infectious.”

Actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage
Actor Will Smith (right) assaulted Oscars presenter Chris Rock after the comedian cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle.
AFP via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Pinkett Smith has not directly addressed her husband’s infamous Oscars slap.

The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star was recently spotted in Mumbai, India, amid reports he still hasn’t apologized to Rock over the on-camera assault.

source: nypost.com