It will soon be a week Will Smith hit the headlines following the events that occurred during the Oscar ceremony of this year, because of its altercation with comedian Chris Rock. And while the Academy has decided to take action against the American star, it would seem that his gesture could also have consequences. repercussions on all of its relations with the hollywood industry.
the first consequences
Following the infamous incident that took place during the 2022 Oscars, many celebrities have given their opinion on Will Smith’s reactionand most of the Hollywood stars questioned on this subject condemned the actor’s act, except for a few with a less clear-cut opinion, like Daniel Radcliffe. But the majority does not endorse his gesture at all, it could directly affect his production company, Westbrook..
By talking to The Wrap, a hollywood agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that as a result of Will Smith’s action, “they won’t give Westbrook any projects.” As reminded CBR, Westbrook Studios was founded in 2019 by Smith and Jada Pinkett Smithand co-produced the recent film The Williams Methodbut also the series Cobra-Kai on Netflix, or the new series Bel Air out this year.
The Hollywood agent then compared Smith’s behavior at the Oscars to the public outbursts of actors like Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise. He said:
I don’t think he has many plans, if any, until the fall. […] Its brand is definitely tarnished when it comes to films for all audiences. It just became his Tom Cruise/Mel Gibson moment, where he will always be a star, but it just went from A+ to A, and gave the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Tom Holland a clearer path.
the first reactions
In the days following the ceremony, the actor issued an official apology for his gesture, which he called “unacceptable and inexcusable”. In his statement, Smith apologized to the comedian and the Academy, saying:
I overstepped the bounds and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions are not representative of the man I want to be.
He then concludes by apologizing to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the participants and all the spectators around the world. The comedian, meanwhile, briefly addressed the incident at a recent sold-out stand-up show in Boston.as part of his ongoing world tour Ego Death World Tour. The comedian then declared to the public:
I have nothing to say about what happened, so if you came to hear this, know that I have an entire show that I wrote before this weekend. I’m still digesting what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about this shit. And it will be serious and funny.
Much of Hollywood’s elite have come to the defense of Chris Rocklike the international star Jim Carrey, strongly condemning the reaction of Will Smith, but also the way in which the incident was handled at the time.
