WILL Smith fans have insisted the actor was never written off for slapping Chris Rock while his new film Bad Boys topped the box office.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die marked Will’s career comeback after he approached Chris on stage at the 2022 Oscars.
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The fourth installment in the franchise took the top spot after grossing $56 million domestically and $104.6 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
Sony’s latest offering earned an A-CinemaScore in North America, along with generally positive reviews.
Will and Martin Lawrence returned as Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys 4.
The $100 million film centered on their escape after their late police captain was linked to drug cartels and their attempt to clear his name.
It is the sequel to Bad Boys for Life, which debuted with $62 million domestically in 2022 and grossed $426 million at the global box office before theaters closed due to the pandemic.
Will’s fans flooded social media with praise following the success of the action blockbuster.
“I love how we all collectively agree that Will Smith was never canceled and we don’t mind the slap,” one wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“We didn’t cancel him, but we gave him some time in the corner. Glad to see Will back and doing well,” another added.
“I’m glad this movie will get him back on track in his career and it proves everyone still loves Will Smith, we’re human, sometimes we make mistakes,” posted a third.
“Proof that everyone still likes Will Smith,” commented another person.
Will caused global outrage when he slapped host Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022.
The actor hit out at Chris after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
He then returned to his seat and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!”
Will appeared to mock the incident in a scene from Bad Boys: Ride or Die, where his character was repeatedly slapped by Martin Lawrence’s character.
Inside Will Smith’s Oscar slap drama
WILL Smith took the stage at the 94th Academy Awards to slap award show host Chris Rock in the face on March 27, 2022,
While Chris made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head when presenting the award for Best Documentary.
Will didn’t like the joke about his wife and went on stage to hit Chris in the face once.
The actor then returned to his seat and shouted profanities at Chris from the audience.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth!” Will shouted from his seat.
“I’ll go, okay?” Chris responded before continuing with the show.
Less than an hour later, Will won Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard.
The following day, Will apologized for the incident on social media, calling his behavior “unacceptable” and “inexcusable.”
He resigned from the Academy. He was then banned from attending the Oscars or any other Academy events for 10 years.
Marcus hit Mike several times to snap him out of it when he panicked in the middle of an action scene.
VarietyOwen Gleiberman’s chief film critic said the scene “punishes” Will and “cruelly mocks” the incident by allowing him to “crawl out of the picture.”
CAREER RETURN
Ahead of the film’s release, The US Sun exclusively revealed that Will hopes the new film will kickstart his return to Hollywood.
“The slap is still an elephant in the room and Will will face it head on. People love a redemption story and Will has done a lot of work on himself,” said a source.
The source added that Will has a “huge fan base” who want him “back in action.”
Chris addressed the slap incident at a comedy event in 2022, saying, “Anyone who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face.”
He added that he is “not a victim” and would not “go to the hospital for a paper cut.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
