It appears that the tide of public opinion tide is turning for Will Smith.
After facing widespread backlash and a cultural exile following the infamous moment he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is seeing a resurgence in public support.
Fans are now rallying behind the West Philadelphia native after the release of his new buddy cop film, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” suggesting that the former “SNL” cast member might be facing his own reckoning for not ever apologizing for his controversial comments about Jada Pinkett Smith.
In the two years since the incident, the “New Jack City” star has leveraged the slap in his stand-up routines, using it to engage with audiences, increase ticket prices, and secure a live Netflix special where he discussed the incident at length.
However, social media trolls have noted that while Rock has consistently dismissed Smith’s repeated apologies and public remorse, he himself has never apologized to Pinkett Smith, who claims she suffers from alopecia, for comparing her to G.I. Jane for having a short Caesar cut.
“I don’t support violence and never hit anyone,” one person wrote. “At the same time, Will Smith is a talented actor, Chris Rock is a talented comedian (I loved him in “I Love My Wife”). Will apologized and deserves fan support. Did Chris ever apologize for attacking Jada? Words matter too.”
Throwback to when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.
— tooXclusive (@tooXclusive_com) October 11, 2023
– Jada and Will have been separated since 2016, What was the slap for then?pic.twitter.com/mKqJgxBN6b
Afterward, Smith was banned from attending the Oscars or any Oscar related events for 10 years. But fans have still rallied behind him to show support with his other films. Some are also suggesting that Rock is sick that fans are eating up Smith’s recent return to the big screen.
An X user said, “Chris Rock is having a panic attack rn.”
Others referenced the Kevin Hart roast on Netflix (recorded during the Netflix Is a Joke Fest on May 11) where Rock made a slick swipe at Hart’s first wife, Torrei Hart.
Kevin cracked up when Rock said that the “Soul Plane” comedian looks like he has “that second wife happiness,” referring to his marriage to his current wife, Eniko Hart.
Ain’t nothing like that second wife happiness. They’re like, ‘We didn’t struggle at all!’”
Kevin and Torrei share two children, daughter, Heaven, 19, and son, Hendrix, 16. With Eniko, he shares a son, Kenzo, 6, and 3-year old daughter Kaori.
Many heard that joke and revisited his diss of Smith’s wife.
“Cause Chris Rock should keep people’s wives out of his mouth,” a fan tweeted. “He did that to get a laugh out of white people. Karma is coming for Chris Rock. I can’t wait.”
Some are so sick of the Brooklyn native’s gags, when he was “trending” they tweeted, “Folks think Will Smith should slap him again. Agreed.”
Smith’s comeback is marked not only by a surge in public support but also by the projected success of his new “Bad Boys” movie, anticipated to rake in $53 million during its opening weekend, according to Forbes.
In a twist of irony, the blockbuster hit even alludes to the infamous Oscars incident, with Smith’s character, Mike Lowry, enduring multiple slaps from Martin Lawrence’s character, Marcus Burnett.
Although Smith now seems to be handling the situation with humor, his road to redemption has been anything but smooth.
Following the Oscar night debacle, his film “Emancipation” on Apple TV, directed by Antoine Fuqua received critical acclaim but was not well received by the public. The fervor around the fourth installment of the cop franchise could suggest that fans don’t want to see a serious Smith.
“Bad Boys 4 is a hit,” one fan contended. “But if Will Smith tried to do another emotional Oscar bait movie people would be laughing in the theater. The Chris Rock slap ruined that part of his career.”
What the slap did not ruin was Smith’s relationship with his wife. According to the “Worthy” author, the incident only brought the couple closer and actually saved their marriage following a seven-year separation.
“I call it the ‘holy slap’ now because so many positive things came after it,” Pinkett Smith said.
“That moment of the s—t hitting the fan is when you see where you really are. … After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him,” she continued. “Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?”