Will Smith's First Award After Oscars Slap Has Twitter Conflicted
Will Smith was in the middle of some serious controversy after slapping Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars. It was quickly nicknamed and referenced as "the slap heard across the world" by media platforms, such as ESPN, and fans on social media. Rock poked fun at Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, for having a shaved head and said he looked forward to seeing her in "G.I. Jane 2," according to NPR. Jada suffers from alopecia, which causes her to experience hair loss, and this comment clearly angered Will as a result. Later that night, he won his first Oscar for best actor in a leading role in "King Richard" for his role as Richard Williams.
Will issued an apology statement to the academy following his violent actions on social media, saying, "My behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable." He continued, "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally." He also apologized to Rock in the statement. However, Rock's mother revealed in late April that the two had not spoken since the incident, per Newsweek.
Will was later banned from the Oscars and any events hosted by the Academy for 10 years, according to BBC. However, he was just awarded his first award since the slap heard around the world and Twitter users have a lot to say about it.
Will Smith causes more Twitter controversy
Will Smith was just presented with his first award since he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars and it's safe to say not everyone is celebrating. According to People, Will won best actor for a sport's drama at the 2022 BET Awards in late June. However, the actor was not in attendance at the award show to accept the award in person. Other actors in the category included Adrian Holmes and Denzel Washington.
Since the incident at the Oscars, Will has not been active on social media and has been staying out of the public eye for the most part. However, fans have not taken a step back on social media about the incident and his recent win. In fact, they had a lot to say on Twitter. One user tweeted, "All his awards are tarnished now.. he's going to have to talk about this unless he plans and early retirement." Another wrote, "Stupidity knows no bounds. Instead of making an example of bad and illegal behavior, BET celebrates it. And they want inclusivity????"
Despite the angered fans, not all social media users are on the same page. One user tweeted, "Congratulations to #WillSmith on his #BETAwards win! Well, deserved!" It's clear some have forgiven Will for his mistakes, while others have lost all respect for the actor. Only time will tell what's next for Will Smith and how fans will react.