Will Smith Reportedly ‘Facing Reality’ of Oscars Slap as He Struggles with Solo Success Beyond ‘Bad Boys’ Films

Will Smith is reportedly still feeling the repercussions of the 2022 Oscars slap.

Three years after confronting comedian Chris Rock and smacking him on stage over a distasteful joke made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will is reportedly struggling to score his next big film. 

In Touch Weekly claims a source has told them, “Will is facing reality at the moment, and even if he never speaks about ‘the slap’ again publicly, he’s dealing with the ongoing, long-tail consequences of it privately and adjusting his business accordingly.” 

Since the televised incident, Smith has starred in two films: “Emancipation,” which began filming in 2021 and was released months after the Oscars slap. The fourth installment of the “Bad Boys” franchise, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” was filmed in 2023 and released in 2024.

“He’s not an idiot, and he knows he’ll never be able to just sweep this incident under the rug. It’s still following him everywhere,” In Touch Weekly’s report claimed. “But he wants to continue to be a movie star, and he still has some of the best instincts in the business when it comes to scripts, projects, filmmakers, and marketing.”

Aside from facing some criticism from fans and peers, one immediate consequence of Smith’s action against Rock was a 10-year ban from attending future Academy Award shows.

While hosting the prestigious ceremony, Rock made what was intended as a joke, comparing Smith’s wife to the main character in the 1997 film “G.I. Jane,” who also sported a very short haircut.

After Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes at Rock’s comment, Smith walked up to the stage, slapped Rock in the face, and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth!”

Yet another clip shows her briefly laughing. He and Smith have been friends since the 1990s, with Rock appearing on an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Though it’s unclear if he was aware that Pinkett Smith had been struggling with an autoimmune disease called alopecia, which causes hair loss, for several years.

As a result of the incident, it appears that Smith will face challenges in securing roles in films outside the Bad Boys franchise.

According to the In Touch Weekly report, “That’s why you have Will showing up in somewhat controversial territories like Saudi Arabia — these aren’t relaxing vacations, he’s going where the money is because he wants to keep making blockbusters.”

That could be why Smith has brought in box office movie stars for his next three movies in pre-production: the sequel to “I Am Legend,” with Michael B. Jordan, a remake of the 1987 film “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” with Kevin Hart and he’s currently in talks to bring Zendaya to the “Hancock 2″ cast.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a black cloud hanging over him constantly, and there are swaths of name talent that don’t want anything to do with him after what he did to Chris Rock.” 

Celebrities like Bill Maher, Jim Carrey, Zoë Kravitz, Tim Allen, and others spoke out against Smith’s actions from that night.

“The only real path Will has is to keep betting on himself and his choices and hope that fans show up. They did for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but the real test of his enduring appeal, or lack thereof, comes when he doesn’t have that franchise to lean on. Like it or not, that day is coming soon,” said the source.

Fans commenting on In Touch Weekly’s Facebook page share similar sentiments about the backlash Smith has received.

“Boo hoo,” one comment read, while another person said, “Well he shouldn’t have done it.” 

A third person simply stated, “Actions have consequences.”

For now, Smith has been keeping himself busy with his music. In fact, 20 years after releasing his last album, Smith has plans to release a new project called “Based On A True Story” this month. In a January interview with Billboard, Smith said he had not yet picked a date for his album. He has over 60 songs recorded and plans to release them into “seasons.”