The controversy around Chris Rock and Will Smith continues years after that infamous Oscars slap. So much so, you can't mention Will Smith without Chris Rock.
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In light of Smith's recent successes at the box office, Chris Rock is trending on social media. Smith recently released his fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise. It took No.1 at the box office, raking in $56 million domestically and $104.6 million globally in its opening weekend. It's been a big hit with audiences.
Fans see it as proof that Smith wasn't canceled after he slapped Rock at the Academy Awards. "I love how we all collectively agreed that Will Smith was never canceled and we don't give a f**k about the slap," one wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"We didn't cancel him, but we did give him a time out in the corner. I'm happy to see Will back and doing great," another added. Many others dog piled, saying they didn't care about the slap. One wrote, "Imagine Will smith waking out behind you from the Cinema after Watching Bad Boys Ride or Die Y'all see how nobody gives a hoot about that Chris Rock slap?"
Another wrote, "Will Smiths career was never gonna be over or even halted behind that slap, cuz actual black people never f--ked with Chris Rock like that to care enough. He slapped the right black person?" Yet another wrote,"The world cares about Will Smith?Only white people care about Chris Rock. That's why you can never cancel a KING?like Will! He is who he is because he is who he is."
Will Smith Apologizes To Chris Rock
In the time since the infamous slap, Smith has publicly apologized to Rock. He sent a video via social media asking for forgiveness. "It's all fuzzy," Smith said. "I've reached out to Chris and the message that came back is he's not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out."
However, he said his behavior was not right. "There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment," Smith said. "There's no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults." He also apologized to his fellow actors as well for ruining the night.
"To all my fellow nominees, you know, this is a community, it's like I won because you voted for me," Smith said in the video. "And it really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment. I can still see Questlove's eyes. You know, it happened on Questlove's award. And, you know, it's like, 'I'm sorry' really isn't sufficient."
