Remember when Will Smith walked on stage at the 94th Academy Awards and slapped comedian Chris Rock without thinking of the consequences? The incident goes down as one of the most controversial moments in the history of the prestigious award function.
Smith’s slap to Rock came in response to the latter’s unscripted joke he made about Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head. Rock said that he “can’t wait to see” Jada in the sequel to G.I. Jane in which the lead actress, Demi Moore donned a shaved head. Smith lost his calm and attacked Rock before returning to his seat and hurling abuses at him, asking to keep his wife’s name “out of his mouth.”
Three years later, things don’t seem to have resolved between the two celebrities. Recent reports suggest that Smith “still hates” Rock. On top of it, he enjoys watching the comedian struggle in his career.
In an exclusive report by InTouch Weekly, Smith hasn’t forgiven Rock as yet. A source close to the portal said, “Chris isn’t the victim here, not in Will’s opinion. A lot of people would agree with Will and think what’s happening to Chris is karma for refusing to speak to Will or accept his apology.”
Allegedly, Smith will “never forgive Chris for ruining his life, even though he’s managed to pick up the pieces in the last year or so. He still hates the guy and his smug attitude.”
“Will’s getting the last laugh and loving it,” the source added referring to Chris Rock’s most recent controversies. Rock sparked controversy during his monologue at Saturday Night Live where he addressed the assassination of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. His jokes didn’t go well with some viewing them as “insensitive”.
Prior to this, he made headlines when he walked out of billionaire Anthony Pratt’s holiday party. He was delivering a comedy set and when he suddenly stormed off the stage and walked out. Interestingly, the list of Rock’s controversies doesn’t end here. He also faced backlash when his joke about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs teaching kids ‘wrong the wronger’ resurfaced online.
While Rock’s troubles keep mounting, Smith is doing fairly well in his life. Sure, he hit a roadblock after the Oscar Slap incident, where he gained bad PR and temporality lost opportunities. Smith had to publicly apologize to Smith. AMPAS imposed a 10-year ban on him which restricts him from attending upcoming Oscar events.
In 2024, Will Smith returned to the big screens with Bad Boys: Ride Or Die. Made with a budget of $100 million, the film grossed over $400 million. The 56-year-old actor is excited about new opportunities. “He wants to move forward and continue with his career. His life has improved and he is optimistic with a lot of projects upcoming,” a source close to Variety reported.
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“Time can heal, and he will be more cautious about what he does. That includes what kind of projects he takes on. He has learned a lot from everything that happened,” the source further added.
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Apart from films, Smith is also focusing on his musical career. In 2024, he released three singles: You Can Make It, Work Of Art and Tantrum. As of 2025, the actor is making buzz among funs after he made a cryptic social media post hinting that he might appear in the next Matrix movie. However, some sources have dismissed the rumors, while further suggesting that it could be related to his upcoming music project.
