Will Smith slammed over awards show return as he takes to Grammys stage years after Oscars slap scandal

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will Smith was back on the awards show stage on Sunday - and not everyone was happy.

Years after grabbing headlines for that infamous Oscars slap, Smith returned to the 2025 Grammys stage on February 2 for a special tribute to the legendary Quincy Jones.

Will Smith's shocking Grammys comeback

But the moment that had everyone talking was Will Smith’s return to a major televised awards show. The Oscar winner took the Grammys stage to introduce a tribute to Quincy Jones, joining Herbie Hancock, who played the piano, and later welcoming Cynthia Erivo for a performance of “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Smith’s speech was supposed to be about celebrating Quincy Jones’ legacy - but viewers weren’t thrilled when he took a detour into talking about himself.

"You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones," Smith declared, before launching into a story about how Jones had “changed his life” by producing 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'.

He even shared a memory about how Quincy once yelled at him over the food served on set: "You want these people to work 16 or 18 hours a day so you realize your dreams, and this is the food you think they should eat? I don't care if it's not in a budget. You pay for it out of your own pocket. It is your job to take care of these people."

Reflecting on that lesson, Smith added, "And I've done everything I can through my career to try to live up to Quincy's demand."

The tribute was meant to honor Jones’ incredible legacy - after all, the late icon left an indelible mark on the music industry, with 28 Grammy wins and a staggering 80 nominations.

Social media slams Will Smith for unabashed return

However, critics on X (formerly Twitter) didn't hold back as they ripped the controversial A-lister for his Grammys appearance.

"Why the F**K is Will Smith on my TV screen at the Grammys announcing anything??? He doesn't deserve to be in the spotlight after his assault on Chris Rock," one posted on X.

"How is Will Smith at the #Grammys2025? He shouldn't be allowed at ANY awards show ever again!" another insisted.

"This Quincy Jones Tribute is painful! #GRAMMYs have to do better. Show the actual awards. No one cares about Will Smith," read a comment.

"How is Will Smith introducing anyone on any TV show or award show at all?? Hollywood really doesn’t care at all," someone else fumed.

"Grammys — OMG. Will Smith makes his grand return to an award ceremony. He is commemorating Quincy Jones. I guess we are supposed to forget he assaulted another talented African American man, Chris Rock. But they are playing Jazz so I guess this is supposed to be a classy moment regardless. The Grammys are dead," another lamented.

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