Will Smith still facing consequences of infamous 2022 Oscars slap: 'It's following him everywhere'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Almost three years have passed since the infamous 2022 Oscars Chris Rock-Will Smith slapping incident, yet the shadow of that moment continues to loom over the 'Men in Black' actor's career.
The fallout from the incident, in which Smith struck comedian Chris Rock on live television after the latter made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, has left an indelible mark on his reputation, as per OK Magazine.
The 2022 Oscars incident continues to follow Will Smith everywhere
An insider shared, "Will is facing reality at the moment, and even if he never speaks about 'the slap' again publicly, he's dealing with the ongoing, long-tail consequences of it privately and adjusting his business accordingly."
Despite attempts to move forward, Smith understands that the incident cannot simply be erased.
"He's not an idiot and he knows he'll never be able to just sweep this incident under the rug. It's still following him everywhere. But he wants to continue to be a movie star, and he still has some of the best instincts in the business when it comes to scripts, projects, filmmakers, and marketing," the tipster added.
A tough road to redemption for Will Smith
The road ahead for Will Smith in Hollywood is anything but easy.
The insider expressed skepticism about his ability to make a full comeback outside of his 'Bad Boys' franchise.
"The reality is, it’s going to be hard for him to make non-Bad Boys projects going forward, and he’s going to have to bring more than his legendary charisma to the table to get films greenlit, especially at the budget level he would prefer," the source explained.
"Plus, he’s really down to his last franchise with 'Bad Boys', and he’s going to have to keep making more of those movies too, which isn’t a walk in the park when you’re over 50," they added.
Will Smith has been seeking opportunities in Saudi Arabia
With Hollywood proving to be a challenging landscape, Will Smith has apparently been exploring opportunities overseas, including in Saudi Arabia.
"That’s why you have Will showing up in somewhat controversial territories like Saudi Arabia- these aren’t relaxing vacations, he's going where the money is because he wants to keep making blockbusters," the insider claimed.
"But that doesn’t change the fact that there's a black cloud hanging over him constantly and there are swaths of name talent that don’t want anything to do with him after what he did to Chris Rock," they noted.
Ultimately, Smith's future in entertainment hinges on whether audiences continue to support his projects.
"The only real path Will has is to keep betting on himself and his choices and hope that fans show up. They did for 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die', but the real test of his enduring appeal, or lack thereof, comes when he doesn’t have that franchise to lean on. Like it or not, that day is coming soon," the mole expressed.
As a direct consequence of the Oscars incident, Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years.
The decision was announced in April 2022 by then-Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, who described Smith's behavior as "unacceptable and harmful."
In response, Smith publicly stated that he "accepts and respects the Academy's decision."
