Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Eclair NaturalsJennifer Esposito is clarifying what she meant when she commented "Ha" on David Spade's Instagram from the night of the 2019 Oscars.
To backtrack, Spade posted a photo of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper performing their Oscar-winning song "Shallow" that involved the same type of chemistry they shared in the film A Star Is Born. Spade captioned the photo, "Is there any chance these 2 aren't f--king?"
Since then, her comment has been the "Ha" heard round the world and her brief marriage to Cooper has sparked some Google searches and in-depth analysis to some remarks she made in her 2011 memoir, Jennifer's Way. Now, the former Blue Bloods star is coming forward to tell the world loud and clear exactly what she meant when she said "Ha."
She began the 3 minute and 40 second video by explaining the attitude of her "Ha," which had the tone of an impromptu and lighthearted laugh, not something villainous or contemptuous.
"It was towards David Spade's very outward statement about something about an ex, and I literally laughed at him because he was so bold in what he was saying and I thought it was funny," she explained. "I'm allowed to think something is funny."
"When you come and attack a person for saying 'Ha'...we have so many things going on in our country and in our world that need attention," she continued. "I wish you would spend a minute of this insanity, this nonsense, on things that are really important."
Esposito called out females in particular for "coming after" her for what she said.
As it turns out, the Crash star apparently didn't even watch the Oscars. "I don't know what went on, I don't care what went on. I commented on something that I thought was funny," she declared.
Esposito said she felt it was "psychotic" that people would make "judgement calls about me or them or the people that the comment was about."
Although she alludes to Cooper throughout her video, she never mentions him nor Gaga by name.
The 45-year-old went on to talk about her New York Times bestselling book that was "based on my journey with Celiac Disease after I almost died." She expressed frustration that people misconstrued some comments in the book and focus on something "so silly and demeaning and stupid of a relationship I had 11 years ago." To all of that, she says, "f--k you."
She wrote in Jennifer's Way about one certain relationship she had, but never names any names. She wrote in the book that this mystery man showed an "entire marching band squad of red flags" and had a "mean, cold side."
She added, "This is horrible behavior" and promised that she was not going to "sit quietly and not answer you."
Esposito went on, "I literally said 'Ha.' It's two letters and for that you make character judgments?"
The actress concluded, "I feel bad for those people who are involved on the other side of the 'Ha' because it wasn't at them."