Will Smith also slapped someone at the premiere of his 2012 movie Men in Black III, and the video has resurfaced in the wake of his clash with Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
The video was originally filmed in 2012 by the Associated Press, though it was recently reported on by the New York Post, which shared the nearly decade-old video of Smith smacking a man on the red carpet for Men in Black III. Smith backhanded Vitalii Sediuk, a former reporter and self-proclaimed prankster who is known for overstepping with celebrities, at times assaulting them, often resulting in arrests on his part and restraining orders filed against him.
At the Men in Black III premiere, Sediuk, posing as a reporter, grabbed Smith and tried to kiss him, to which the actor responded with, “What the hell is your problem, man?” punctuated by a smack in the face. In another clip, Smith was asked about the altercation. “He tried to kiss me on the mouth … he’s lucky I didn’t sucker-punch him,” Smith said. “Oh, I said that on camera — you know it’s all good.” At the time, Smith’s slap seemed to receive a positive reaction from his fellow celebrities.
The video has surfaced following Smith’s altercation with Rock, a fellow celebrity, at the 94th Academy Awards. Rock, who was presenting, made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, wherein he said, “Jada, I love you– G.I Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” Pinkett Smith has spoken publically about her struggles with alopecia. Smith, in response to the joke, walked on stage and slapped the comedian across the face. While the audio of the broadcast was immediately censored, uncensored footage surfaced later online, in which Smith can be heard yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Many of Hollywood’s elite have come to Rock’s defense, including Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, comedian Kathy Griffin, Rob, actor Sophia Bush, director Judd Apatow, Jim Carrey and Rock’s friend and frequent collaborator, Adam Sandler. Rock has not publically addressed the altercation, though he has confirmed that he will not be pressing charges against Smith. Smith since issued a formal apology for the slap, which he called “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Smith was later awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a formal review in response to Smith and Rock’s incident, issuing a statement that “condemns the actions of Mr. Smith” at the ceremony.
Source: New York Post
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