Jada Pinkett Smith is getting more candid than ever about the slap heard round the world .

The 52-year-old actor, who has alopecia , literally had a front-row seat at the 2022 Academy Awards when host Chris Rock joked about her shaved head and when her husband, Will Smith , walked on stage and slapped Rock in the face in front of a live television audience of millions.

Smith later said he was deeply remorseful for his actions, and Pinkett Smith expressed a hope that that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out, and reconcile. Now, though, shes offering a much closer look into her thoughts and feelings since that night.

I thought, This is a skit, Pinkett Smith told People in an exclusive interview published Wednesday . I was like, Theres no way that Will hit him. It wasnt until Will started to walk back to his chair that I even realized it wasnt a skit.

Pinkett Smith said her first words to Smith after he sat down were: Are you okay?

Rock was presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature when he joked about Pinkett Smith starring in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a 1997 film in which Demi Moore s character shaves her head and joins the Navy Seals . Pinkett Smith first publicly spoke about her alopecia in 2018.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ultimately banned Smith from attending the Oscars for 10 years . Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson argued in a statement that the safety of our performers and guests is imperative.