(BET)
Will Smith paid loving tribute to Jada Pinkett Smith on “Black Girls Rock,” a BET special that aired on Sunday. The actress was the recipient of the Star Power Award, and gave an impassioned speech about women. Watch videos below!
Will first joked that he was in attendance so there would be “a little testosterone in the room,” and then revealed he planned to go off-script. The superstar amusingly and poignantly recalled laying in bed with his wife when he got a Google alert about Jada supposedly filing for divorce, a rumor Gossip Cop has consistently and accurately debunked several times. “In that brief moment,” remembered Will, “my heart jumped for a second. And I started to imagine what my life would’ve been like without that woman.”
The actor went on reflect on their 20-year relationship. “I’ve seen all of her work. I held her hand while she gave birth to two beautiful babies. I’ve watched this woman at Ozzfest singing as the lead singer of a metal band,” Will shared. “And as I thought about what my life would be like, what the world would be like without her, it made me sad, and I’m just standing here today happy that TMZ had it wrong.”
Will then addressed Jada directly, saying, “For living your dreams out loud, baby, for modeling an alternate way of being in this world, I present to you, along with BET, the Black Girls’ Star Power Award. Baby, c’mon and get it!” Jada then came on stage and got more than just her trophy. She also received a deep kiss from Will and a booty grab.
In her acceptance speech, Jada gave a tribute of her own, to all the women in the audience and watching at home. “We are the women that marched from cotton fields into the fields of medicine, politics, law, education, entertainment. We even found a way to march ourselves into the White House as the First Lady of the United States of America,” said the star, giving a nod to Michelle Obama, who was in the crowd.
Jada continued by acknowledging that while there is still a “long way to go” in the fights for equality and diversity, “we are enough as we are.” And, with her daughter watching in the audience, the “Gotham” star said, “As my little Afro-futurist Willow tells me, ‘I am you. You are me. We are one.'” The Smiths then walked off stage arm in arm. Check out the videos below!
