Jada Pinkett Smith showed up to support friends Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen on the opening of the Rhimes Performing Arts Center over the weekend, marking the actress’ first public appearance since her husband, Will Smith, slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke Rock made about her.
The Red Table Talk host shared a picture of herself on Instagram on Sunday, wearing a glittery, gold strapless dress and congratulating Allen on her Debbie Allen Dance Academy, which will be housed in the performing arts center.
“@therealdebbieallen said wrap it all in gold and come let the kids fill your soul,” Jada captioned the image. “You are the legacy that so many other legacies will stand upon. Thank you for ALL that you do.”
In a follow-up post, Pinkett posed with both Allen and Rhimes and recognized the Bridgerton producer for “helping the dreams of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy become a reality.”
The new performing arts center, which is open to students eight and older and will teach them a variety of dance genres, is a two-story, 24,000 square foot complex that includes five dance studios and an aerial studio named after Will and Jada, according to Broadway World.
Saturday served as Jada’s first red carpet event since Will Smith was banned from the Motion Picture Academy for ten years for slapping Rock two weeks ago. The day after the incident, Smith posted an apology to his Instagram account, saying in part, “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Smith later resigned from the Academy and, after learning of the consequences of his actions, including being banned from all future Academy events for ten years, including the Oscars, he said, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
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