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Jada Pinkett Smith ‘Insisted’ on Vacation Despite Will Smith’s Oscars Slap Backlash (Exclusive)

The show — and the vacation — must go on. Jada Pinkett Smith determined that the family trip to India wasn’t going to be canceled due to Will Smith‘s Oscars slap.

Related: Will Smith and Chris Rock's 2022 Oscars Incident: Everything to Know

“Will and Jada have taken the family on [a] vacation that was already planned,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.

The Concussion star, 53, was spotted in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, April 23. The actor seemed to be in good spirits as he smiled for photos with fans.

Jada Pinkett Smith 'Insisted' on Vacation Despite Will Smith's Oscars Slap Backlash
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Jim Ruymen/UPI/Shutterstock

The insider adds, “There had been talk of canceling [the trip] but Jada insisted.”

The Gotham alum, 50, was the subject of a joke that infuriated her husband at the 94th annual Academy Awards on March 27. Chris Rock quipped that Pinkett Smith, who struggles with alopecia, looked ready for G.I. Jane 2 with her short hair. Smith marched on stage and slapped Rock. “Keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth,” he shouted after returning to his seat.

A short while later, the Philadelphia native won the Oscar for best actor for his performance in King Richard. He apologized in his acceptance speech and the following day via Instagram. Days later, he voluntarily resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Related: Jada Pinkett Smith's Most Honest Quotes About Alopecia and Hair Loss

“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” he wrote, in part, at the time.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum also faced consequences from the Academy, who announced on April 8 that Smith was banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years.

“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said in a statement at the time.

Following the backlash, an insider told Us that the Red Table Talk host was not “angry with” her husband, who she married in 1997. However, she “wishes he didn’t” get physical with the comedian.

“It was in the heat of the moment and it was him overreacting. He knows that, she knows that. They’re in agreement that he overreacted,” a source exclusively told Us earlier this month.

Related: Will Smith's Inner Circle: A Look at His Close Celeb Pals After Oscars Slap

“She doesn’t want to be the center of attention, she doesn’t want her husband being the center of attention,” the insider added. “This was not how she saw the night going — no one did. He was winning one of the most important awards of his life and the entire night became about Will and Chris [and] neither of them wanted that. She hopes that they can move on.”

Pinkett Smith has returned to the red carpet, making her first public appearance at the opening of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy at the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles on April 10. The Maryland native’s Red Table Talk also returned to Facebook Watch for season 5, and she hinted that the family would eventually unpack the Oscars drama on the show.

“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing. Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls,” a statement from Pinkett Smith read ahead of the season premiere of Red Table Talk on Wednesday, April 20.

Related: Everything Chris Rock Has Said About the Will Smith Oscars Slap Drama

The onscreen message continued: “Until then… the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest. Thanks for joining us, Jada.”

The pair share children Jaden Smith, 23, and Willow Smith, 21. The Aladdin actor is also dad to Trey Smith, 29, who he shares with ex-wife Sheree Zampino.

Reporting by Jen Heger 

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