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

Years after grabbing headlines for that infamous Oscars slap, Will Smith returned to the 2025 Grammys stage for a special tribute to Quincy Jones
UPDATED FEB 3, 2025
Will Smith's presence on the Grammys stage was the first major award show appearance by him after the infamous Oscars slap controversy (Getty Images)
Will Smith's presence on the Grammys stage was the first major award show appearance by him after the infamous Oscars slap controversy (Getty Images)

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.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Will Smith and Herbie Hancock perform onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Will Smith and Herbie Hancock perform onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, California (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

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.

HOLLYWOOD - FEBRUARY 01: *EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE* Producer Quincy Jones speaks at the
Producer Quincy Jones speaks at the "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" recording session held at Jim Henson Studios on February 1, 2010, in Hollywood, California (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

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.



 



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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