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Will Smith has been a dominating actor in Hollywood since the 1980s. He worked hard and truly made a name for himself in music, TV, and movies. But he has made the news for a less than savory reason in more recent history. At the 2022 Oscars, he delivered the slap heard around the world. And it landed him a negative reputation among many.

Will Smith’s successful career went overboard after 1 incident

Will Smith
Will Smith attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. Picture date: Sunday March 27, 2022. (Photo by Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty Images)

Smith started his entertainment career with the rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince in the late 1980s. Smith grew in his music career until he signed on with NBC to build a sitcom around his personality, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show was very successful, and it catapulted Smith’s acting career into the movie scene. 

Smith has a decent number of blockbuster films under his belt. He has acted in films ranging from Disney’s Aladdin and Men in Black to King Richard and The Pursuit of Happyness. He has also produced many projects, including Cobra Kai. 

The actor’s career has included a few exemplary awards. Notably, he has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness, and King Richard. Will Smith won the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in King Richard in 2022. That evening, he hit a high and a low. He stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock after a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 

Ranker cites Smith as the celebrity people are sick of hearing about

Ranker published a list titled “Celebrities You’re Sick of in 2022.” The ranked celebrities include musicians, actors, entrepreneurs, and public figures. But Smith found his way to the No. 1 slot. He’s followed by Elon Musk, the musically talented duo of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, artists such as Lady Gaga and Drake, and even Prince Harry.

While Smith apologized for the incident, it could just be that people are tired of hearing about it. For days and even weeks after the Oscars, many continued to weigh in on the subject, including other celebrities. 

You won’t see Smith at the Oscars anytime soon 

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Will Smith hit his low point during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022. The actor stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face. He then yelled obscenities at Rock from his seat. 

Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife and her shaved head, alluding to her starring in a G.I. Jane movie. Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes at the joke, and her husband stormed the stage. Smith slapped Rock across the face while on the air and walked back to his seat. Rock tried to recover from the incident, while Smith yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—king mouth!” twice. 

The evening continued. Smith received the Best Actor Oscar for his part in King Richard. He gave an emotional acceptance speech, offering an apology to the Academy. Following the incident, Smith resigned from the Academy. The Academy banned Smith from attending any Academy events or programs, “including but not limited to the Academy Awards.”

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