Will Smith is having his redemption moment following the ridicule and public scrutiny he faced since slapping Chris Rock in the face at the 2022 Oscars. Afterward, he won an Oscar for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Serena and Venus’s father in the movie, “King Richard.
The comedic actor has apologized numerous times for the infamous slap he referenced in his latest movie, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”
Toward the end of the film, Smith was slapped multiple times by his co-star, Martin Lawrence. Filming the movie was “really personal” says director Bilall Fallah, one half of the Belgian directing duo known as Adil & Bilall in a Variety interview.
However, many had mixed feelings about recreating a humiliating moment for both Rock and Smith that nearly destroyed the career of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
“Man that MF Reggie!!!! Definitely my favorite part. Also like how they played on that Oscarsslap. Great movie #BadBoys @BadBoys,” wrote one person on X.
Another said, “Bad Boys 4 bringing hater takes on Will’s Oscar slap back into the media is so annoying to me.”
It seems that Rock also took issue with that scene as well. A source told “In Touch” recently, “Chris thinks it’s a pretty cheap stunt and he’s telling people how lame he finds it. It’s a classic case of Will making light of a horrific situation.”
They claimed that Smith is “playing the victim” about what some describe “as the lowest point of his career.”
After keeping silent for months, Rock addressed the slap during his live comedy special, “Selective Outrage” on Netflix. He also backed out of hosting the Gloden Globes last year and has attempted to maintain a “low profile” since.
“It aggravates him that people keep bringing it up. He suffered as much as Will has and now Will has turned it into a funny scene in his movie. As far as Chris is concerned, it’s more proof that Will’s a total piece of work who deserves all the crap he’s gotten. Chris isn’t going to let it go,” the source continued. “If there’s a way to get back at Will down the line, he’ll take it.”
Charlamagne says Will Smith didn't lose any credibility and nobody has ever cared that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock while reacting to the recent box office success of 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die'.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) June 21, 2024
(🎥 Brilliant Idiots/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/7PMEx1NJnS
Rock joked he needed to be paid to discuss what happened, and one week before the 2023 Academy Awards, his special aired. That same year, he joined Dave Chappelle on stage for a performance at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles. At the time, Rock described the incident saying he was “smacked by the softest n—a that ever rapped.”
Defending his wife’s honor, Smith walked on stage as Rock was presenting an award and smacked Rock across the face over a joke about “G.I. Jane” and Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. The moment led to Smith’s 10-year ban from the Oscars and helped his wife open up to the world about her battle with alopecia.
And still no apology from Rock to the “Matrix” star.
