Will Smith Faces Another Public Blow Amid Academy Announcement

The 2022 Academy Awards didn’t go as planned, with nominee Will Smith slapping Chris Rock across the face for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s, baldness. Naturally, as is the case with many crazy evenings, Will went on to win an Academy Award for his portrayal in “King Richard” (via NPR). According to The Washington Post, the Oscars gave viewers across the world an inside look into Will and Jada’s relationship since the “Aladdin” star didn’t stand up to approach the stage until he noticed his wife’s sad expression.

The repercussions of the slap have been significant. Will’s fate was decided quickly by the Academy, who barred him from attending one of Hollywood’s biggest evenings for a decade, though he is still eligible for Oscar nominations (via Variety). Meanwhile, Will has expressed regret for his conduct. Shortly after the event, the actor took to Instagram to publicly apologize for his aggressive actions, stating that his post was not only for his domestic audience, but also for Chris and the Academy.

When it came to supporting or defending Will, people on the internet were immediately divided. Many celebrities, too, expressed their feelings on the smack that made headlines throughout the world. Will’s reputation has taken yet another hit as the fallout continues.

Will Smith may not have been arrested at the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been dealt a series of blows in public. According to The New York Times, some celebrities preferred to publicly support the “King Richard” actor rather than personally, maybe to avoid retribution. Kevin Hart was one of them, and he’s no stranger to controversy, even if it’s centered around the Oscars. According to Billboard, the comedian was set to host the Academy Awards in 2019, but had to drop out after previous controversies reappeared online.

Will, on the other hand, is losing faith in his fans, despite the fact that he has the support of his family, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Kevin. According to the Recent York Post, a new poll from YouGov, a company that frequently polls celebrity popularity, including the royal family’s, finds that over half of those who responded don’t support Will after his live-television smack. In fact, according to a poll conducted from March 27 to April 4, his disapproval rating is now at 47 percent, up from 37 percent previously (via Yahoo!). In the meantime, only 16% of those polled agreed with Will’s reaction to Chris Rock’s joke.

It’s worth mentioning that more than half of those who responded to the poll were white, with only 12% freely identifying as black. Furthermore, 1,618 adult respondents were included in the sample (through Yahoo!).

Source: thelist.com