Samuel L. Jackson and wife of 42 years have alleged tiff at theater gala
Was it a Jackson family drama?
“Pulp Fiction” star Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, director LaTanya Richardson Jackson, allegedly brought some drama to the Theatre Communications Group gala on Monday night, sources told Page Six.
We hear the power couple was in a spat in the press room, and that Sam wound up leaving — although an event organizer said he was never meant to stay for the whole thing anyway.
A spy at the event — which honored the Jacksons — told Page Six exclusively of the pair, “They apparently were in a fight when they arrived. They posed for pictures together and then the fight [went on].”
Another source said that the duo was in an tiff in the pressroom at the Edison Ballroom in Midtown and that Sam appeared annoyed.
The first source noted that Sam exited the event before the couple was honored, and that “LaTanya accepted solo.” Vanessa Williams presented their award.
LaTanya is currently directing Sam in the acclaimed revival of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” on Broadway. They’ve been married 42 years.
We hear that LaTanya also explained to the audience that her husband left the event due to COVID-19 concerns.
A rep for the gala told us when we reached out for comment: “As the top-billed star of ‘The Piano Lesson,’ Mr. Jackson is extraordinarily cautious about the risk putting the production in jeopardy by exposing himself to COVID-19. Ms. Jackson accepted on behalf of both she and her husband simply to minimize his risk of exposure. Mr. Jackson had only ever planned on doing photos and then leaving, as everyone involved with planning the event knew in advance.”
The spokesman added: “It was a magical evening, and they helped raise a record haul of more than $300,000 to support TCG’s mission of creating a more just and equitable theater ecology.”
A rep for Sam did not comment.
The star has previously said of their marriage, “It’s two people who respect each other, love each other and look out for each other.”