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The 2021 Oscars, Will Smith and the slap is the one incident that people who saw it might remember for the rest of their lives.
However, the slap managed to damage quite a lot of aspects of Smith's life. From being banned from the Oscars for ten years, to people not forgiving him for the slap for months, the road doesn't seem to be getting smoother for Smith.
Additionally, the actor is now worried that the slap might even affect his upcoming film Emancipation.
Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, the former's wife, and Smith has been on the public radar ever since.
In an interview with Fox News, the actor expressed his concern about how the moviegoers will not be “ready” to see his film. However, all of this also brought a lot of support for the actor as many took to social media to post in favor of him and his work.
Some believe that Will Smith doesn't "deserve" to be punished over the slap, while others said that since Smith apologized to Rock, he should be forgiven.
Netizens come in support of Will Smith months after the Oscar slap incident
While the Will Smith and Chris Rock fiasco happened in April 2022, his movie Emanicipation is set for release in December 2022, six months after the incident. However, several netizens haven't forgotten the incident and neither have they forgiven Smith.
At the same time, several fans of the Gemini Man actor are now coming to his rescue and supporting him and his upcoming movie. Several fans supported Smith and claimed that they would “gladly” watch his movie.
Others spoke about how Smith still faces backlash for the slap, despite apologizing for it, while other actors who have made transphobic comments or are abusers are still welcome in the industry.
Will Smith fearful of the Oscar incident affecting Emancipation’s performance
Sensing how the incident is still fresh in people’s minds, the King Richard actor, in an interview with Fox News, claimed that he is concerned about his team. He said that he understands if people aren't ready to watch his film, and that he would "absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready."
However, he added that his "deepest concern" is his team, especially the film's director Antoine Fuqua. Smith added that he believes the film is the "greatest work of his (Fuqua's) entire career."
He also acknowledged his team’s hard work on the film and wished that his actions did not penalize them.
The movie is all set to be released in selective cinemas and Apple TV+ on December 2, 2022. Emanicipation also stars Ben Foster and Charmaine Bingwa along with Smith.
The movie is about an enslaved man, Peter, played by Will Smith, who escaped from a Louisana plantation, and later joined the Union Army.
