Will Smith has mixed feelings about his new film, Emancipation, set to release in December 2022. This is especially so because of the controversy surrounding the slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars. In the Oscars ceremony held on March 27, Smith slapped Rock, a renowned comedian as he was presenting an award.
Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness. The jock did not settle well with Smith, especially because his wife, Jada has alopecia, a hair loss condition. The audience laughed at the joke but Jada was unamused as she rolled her eyes. Sensing the uneasiness of his wife, Smith took deliberate steps to the stage and slapped Rock across the face.
The aftermath of the incident has seen Smith apologizing on multiple occasions on Social media profiles. Amid the backlash, Smith’s apology came a day after the Oscars stating that he was out of line and embarrassed by his actions. “What I did does not depict the man I want to be. In a world of love and kindness, there is no place for violence,” Smith wrote in his apology. He said he had offered to speak to Rock but the comedian stated that he was not ready to talk at the time.
Chris Rock on the other hand has occasionally talked of the incident in his stand-up shows. He made fun of the incident during one of his performances in Holmdel, NJ on July 24. “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock joked.
Will Smith’s new movie Emancipation is a much-anticipated film following the story of slavery in Louisiana. He reprises the role of Peter, a slave, who flees a plantation in Louisiana. It is set for release in the US on Dec 9, 2022.
Speaking to NBC on his upcoming film, Smith says that he’d completely understand if some people were hesitant to watch the movie due to his controversy. His deepest concern however is the effort of the team of people who have worked in the movie. He hopes that his actions at the Oscars will not affect the film.
