Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Video/News Video
EntertainmentNews Video

‘My Dude Forever’: Will Smith Reveals How He and Floyd Mayweather Forged a Friendship Following Oscars Slap

Posted byBy Atahabih Germain | Published on: | Updated on December 9, 2022 CommentsComments (0)

Will Smith is giving high praises to an unlikely friend.

Following a recent private screening of his upcoming film “Emancipation,” the Academy Award winner took a moment to talk about championship boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., who Smith said called for nearly two weeks straight to check up on him following his infamous altercation at the Oscars. 

?My Dude Forever?: Will Smith Reveals How He and Floyd Mayweather Forged a Friendship Following Oscars Slap
Will Smith (L) and Floyd Mayweather (R). Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images, Prince Williams/Getty Images)

In a video obtained by TMZ, the “King Richard” star made a stop in London to show the new historical thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua to a group of friends, including Mayweather, Dave Chappelle, and Grammy Award-winner Rihanna, before going on to share a few words. “I want to say something about Floyd,” Will began. 

“So, we’ve met each other, we’ve seen each other around, but we weren’t like friends and the day after the Oscars, for ten days, he called me every day,” he explained. 

“And, he was like, ‘Ay, you know you the champ, right? You good? You know you the champ, right? I want you to hear my voice say it,’” he added. 

The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star shared that he had found a “forever” friend in Floyd following his thoughtful gesture. “That was every day he called me… and it’s like, that’s my dude forever right there,” he continued. 

Mayweather gained more applause online as fans reacted to the video, including one Instagram user who wrote “That was nice of him” before adding,  “I’m happy Will had the right set of ppl still backing him despite that explosive event. We all need second chances and for ppl to hold us down when we go through our dark moments.”

Aforementioned, many A-listers were in attendance during Smith’s recent private viewing,  the likes of  Tyler Perry, Kenya Barris, Rih Rih and boyfriend A$AP Rocky, and controversial comedian Dave, causing many heads to turn. 

As many may remember Dave appeared to take sides following the fallout between Will and Chris Rock, infamously calling Will a fraud during a standup set  and said he “did an impression of a perfect human being for 30 years.” That all seems to be water under the bridge as the pair took part in a larger selfie at the event.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top