Will Smith Oscars

Will Smith Oscars won’t let the emotional baggage of the Slap hold him from this year’s Oscars race? Although the Academy has secured the movie star from attending its glittering ceremony for the next decade after he punched presenter Chris Rock, Smith is gearing up to once again place himself in the running for Finest Actor in what would be back-to-back nominations. Defined by Smith as a “film about freedom,” Emancipation, out December 9, is a historical epic founded on the true story of Gordon, a previously enslaved man who posed for monstrous photographs of his bare, whipped back, which supported the abolitionist campaign in 1863.

For any other actor, this type of Oscars-y movie and what examines to be a gripping arrangement would make them a shoo-in for a nomination but this honors season has the specter of the slap swinging over a certain Best Actor winner’s crown. Meaning: Will Smith is tough at work on his film’s press tour attempting to distance himself from the consequences of that fateful event. From the first video apology to the first complete account of the moment, below is everything Smith has spoken about the Slap forward of the 2023 Oscars.

Will Smith Emancipation Apology

July 29, 2022: Smith makes a video apology to Chris Rock and Questlove four months after the Oscars ceremony. (Smith first apologized in a report days after the incident). In a video published to his socials titled “It’s been a minute,” the actor responds to frequently asked questions about the Slap. “Why didn’t you apologize to Chris in your endorsement speech?” one question reads. “I was fogged out by that point,” Smith says. “It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will come out. So I will speak to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My manners were inappropriate, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.” He apologizes to Rock’s family, creating certain mentions of the comedian’s mother and his brother Tony.

In response to a question about Jada Pinkett Smith’s involvement, a parody about her alopecia might have pressed Smith to do the Slap he explains that she wasn’t interested and apologizes to both her and their children. Later, he expresses regret to Questlove and his fans. The apology comes a week after Rock referenced the Slap in his Madison Square Garden set on July 23.

Will Smith Regret the video

November 28, 2022: In a discussion with EW, the actor says his regret over the truth that the Slap could very well outweigh Emancipation. “The only hurt my spirit has about that is that so many people have done stunning work on this film,” he says. “My expectancy is that my team isn’t punished at all for my actions … Everyone has done such breathtaking work. I certainly lose a couple of winks of sleep every night feeling that I could have potentially punished my team, but I’m going to do everything I can to make foolproof that everyone gets noticed in the light that they deserve.”

Will Smith Oscars Slap

November 29, 2022: The psychology of the Slap arrives in his first televised interview about it on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah. Smith describes what was going on in his head when he completed the “horrific decision” to hit Rock. “There are multiple nuances and complexness to it, you understand, but at the end of the day, I just — I failed it,” Smith says through tears. “I think I would say, you just never understand what someone going through.” He narrates to Noah that the phrase “Hurt people hurt people” ultimately created meaning for him thereafter. “You just don’t understand what’s heading on with people,” he describes. “And I was going via something that night.”

“Not that that explains my manners at all,” Smith adds.

Smith argues to have “no separate recollection” of the happening. As to why he did it, Smith supposes that “it was a lot of things,” including the trauma he experienced while raising up. “It was the little boy overseeing his mother beat up his father,” he shares. “All of that splashed up at that point. You know, just, that’s not who I want to be. I was gone. That was a fever that had been bottled for a really long time.”