Ricky Gervais says he would have made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s ‘boyfriend’

The 60-year-old comedian was making a public appearance in London's Highgate area, and felt he needed to address the surge in his popularity in the wake of the incident at Sunday night's Oscars when Smith slapped award presenter Chris Rock in response to the joke about Pinkett Smith.

According to the Mirror, Gervais started right in on his discourse with: "I'll get it out of the way. I have not got any Will Smith material. I trended when that happened and I was not even there."

During the comedians last stint as host for the 2020 Golden Globe awards, he gave a rousing, scathing and controversial speech aimed right at the elites of the Hollywood movie industry itself.

"What has it got to do with me? People were going 'What would have happened if Ricky Gervais had been doing it [hosting the 2022 Oscars]?'"

Gervais asked what joke he would have made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, if he were in Rock's place on that stage. His reply was:

"Well, nothing as I would not have made a joke about his wife’s hair. I would have made a joke about her boyfriend."

In June 2020, singer/rapper August Alsina claimed that he was in a relationship with Pinkett Smith, who later confirmed that they had been in an "entanglement."

Will Smith previouly told GQ that "Jada never believed in conventional marriage."

The Smiths later discussed Jada and August’s "entanglement" on Red Table Talk, and claimed to be "privately separated" at the time of the relationship.