Sneaking back in. Will Smith returns to social media…sort of. The King Richard actor posted a cryptic but funny video on his Instagram about his social media presence.
Will posted on a viral video of two gorillas on his Instagram on August 19, 2022. The baby gorilla tries to tap on the Silverback gorilla’s back to get their attention, much to their annoyance. He posted the video with the caption, “Me trying to get back on social.” Many fans welcomed Will back with open arms. One user commented, “We love & miss you Will ❤️.” Another user commented, “bring back the YouTube family videos too while you’re at it!” referring to his vlogs.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock five months ago at the Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, after Chris made a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences banned Will from future events for the next ten years. In an open letter, the Academy announced, “The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.” The Academy apologized to Rock, the rest of the Academy and the public for the moment: “We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.” Will accepted the ban as he previously resigned from The Academy on April 1, 2022.
Will released an apology video directed to Chris on July 29, 2022, after months off of social media. “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 reach out,” he said in the video. “So I will I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable.“I want to apologize to Chris’s mother,” he continued. “I saw an interview that Chris’s mother did. And that was one of the things about that moment I just didn’t realize. I wasn’t thinking but how many people got hurt in that moment. So I want to apologize to Chris’s mother. I want to apologize to Chris’s family. Specifically Tony Rock We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. And this is probably irreparable.” He continued, “I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the complexities and nuances of what happened. I’m not gonna try to unpack all of that right now but I can say to you, there was no part of me that thought that was the right way to behave in that moment.”
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However, Chris seems like he won’t accept the apology any time soon. He subtly shaded Will in a comedy set saying, “Everybody is trying to be a f*cking victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims,” Chris said during his set, “Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith. I went to work the next day, I got kids. Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.”
Image: Penguin Press.
For more about Will Smith, read his memoir, Will. The book, which was number one on The New York Times bestseller list, takes readers through Smith’s life, from his childhood in West Philadelphia and early rap career to his rise as one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. The autobiography—which Oprah Winfrey described as “the best memoir I’ve ever read”—also explores a side of Smith’s life he’s never told before. “Will is the story of how one person mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same,” the publisher’s description of the book reads. “Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world’s biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home.”
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