Chris Rock shows up in Paris for the first time since Jada Pinkett Smith claimed he asked her on DATE amid Will Smith divorce rumors ahead of THIS Oscars

Chris Rock has stepped out for the first time since Jada Pinkett Smith made the bombshell claim that he once asked her out, years before Will Smith infamously slapped him at the Oscars.

The 58-year-old comedian was spotted in Paris on Thursday wearing a casual outfit, black glasses and a baseball cap.

He held his phone tightly in his hand and was pictured reading it carefully during his walk.

In her explosive new memoir Worthy, Jada claims Rock once asked her out when divorce rumors about her and her husband Will were circulating.

The 52-year-old actress has been busy dropping bombshells during her promotional tour – including the news that she and Will have been separated for seven years – and in an interview with PeopleShe said Chris called her one summer to pursue a romantic relationship with her.

“I think every summer all the reports came out that Will and I were getting a divorce,” Jada began. “And that summer, Chris thought we were getting a divorce.

Spotted: Chris Rock was spotted in Paris on Thursday after Jada Pinkett Smith came forward with the bombshell claim that he once asked her out as divorce rumors about her and her husband Will began circulating

Check headlines? At one point, the 58-year-old comedian was studying his phone\

“So he called me and basically said, ‘I’d like to take you out,'” she recalls. “And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Well, aren’t you and Will getting divorced?’ I was like, ‘No, Chris, they’re just rumors.’

“He was horrified. And he apologized profusely and that was that.’

DailyMail has contacted Chris’ representatives for comment.

Jada also shared that she hasn’t spoken to Chris since the infamous slap at the Oscars, when Will slapped Chris after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s bald head.

‘[Do I have] Would you like to talk to Chris? Here is my wish: I just hope that all misunderstandings in this regard can be cleared up and that peace can prevail,” she told the publication.

“I talk about this in the book, I think there may be a misunderstanding between Chris and I regarding the 2016 Oscars.” I think he may have taken offense, which I didn’t mean in a bad way. That was not my intention. But I think there’s a big misunderstanding.”

The drama in 2016 began when Will failed to receive an Oscar nomination for his role in Concussion. This exclusion coincided with a year in which no actors of color were nominated in any acting category, giving rise to the #OscarsSoWhite movement.

In response, some artists boycotted the awards show in protest, including Jada, who even called for Chris to step down as host of this year’s awards show.

Other claims: Jada also revealed that Chris came to apologize after his bald-headed joke during the Oscars last year prompted Will to storm the stage and punch him

Low-key: The star wore a casual outfit for the outing, black-rimmed glasses and a baseball cap

However, Chris didn’t back down and instead made a joke about Jada during the Oscars, saying, “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties – I wasn’t invited.”

Looking back, Jada said she “didn’t really realize the extent of the pressure.” [Chris] may have been under at this time.

“I probably should have called him and said, ‘Hey, are you OK?’ And know that even though I’m talking about the Oscars, I wish you the best and I need you to know that. “I took the time to call him and say that just to touch base,” she told People. “But his feelings might have been hurt.”

She said the couple apologized to each other shortly after the 2016 incident, but they didn’t speak to each other until the 2022 Oscars fiasco, when, according to Jada, Chris tried to apologize again, this time for the joke.

“Chris came to the end of the stage and tried to apologize to me. He said, “I didn’t mean any harm to you.” I said, “I can’t talk about that now, Chris. This is old crap.”’

Shocking revelations: Jada also revealed the explosive news that she and Will have been secretly separated for seven years; seen in 2022

As for her reaction to the joke, Jada said, “I mean, that’s what comedians do.”

“All I have to say is that I’m not really here to judge how people express themselves and express their art.” I have to admit that I’ve definitely had my feelings hurt several times. Chris really hurt my feelings. But at the end of the day, being in the spotlight comes with the territory.”

In the same interview, Jada also revealed that she and Will had been secretly separated for seven years – and admitted that the couple, who tied the knot in 1997, are still trying to figure out what the future of their marriage looks like How.

Speaking to Hoda on the Today Show on Wednesday, Jada explained why her marriage to Will had failed: “By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted from trying.” I think we were both still stuck in our fantasy “What we think the other person should be like.”

Jada, who admitted in 2020 that she had an affair with singer August Alsina, said she had considered a divorce but was never able to go through with it, candidly revealing that she made a “promise” to her husband that she made to him would never give a “reason” to get a divorce.

“I promised that there would never be any reason for us to divorce,” she continued. “We’ll get through anything.” And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.’

“But you’re still separated?” Hoda pressed, prompting Jada to confirm, “We’re separated.”

The slap was heard around the world: Will shamefully slapped Chris at the 2022 Oscars after a joke about Jada

Speak with PeopleJada admitted that the two were actually living apart when her husband slapped comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars when he took the stage in a fit of anger over a joke about his wife’s baldness.

She noted that no permanent decisions have been made about the future of their marriage, explaining that she and Will are “still working on figuring it out.”

“We did really hard work together,” she said. “We just felt deep love for each other and we’re going to find out what that looks like.”

Jada went on to praise her children — Jaden, 25, Willow, 22, and Trey, 30, Will’s son from a previous relationship — for standing by her during this difficult time in their relationship.