Will Smith‘s popularity with the general public plummeted following the infamous slap at the 94th Academy Awards.
Following his altercation with Chris Rock at the Oscars, according to data collected by Morning Consult, the public opinion of Smith dropped 30% from a 2020 survey wherein his favorability was listed at 80% overall. Now, Smith’s favorability sits at 50%, while Rock has a rating of 60%. Two-thirds of those surveyed also said they found Smith’s actions “inappropriate,” while one-quarter thought the opposite. 9% had no opinion. On top of that, 49% stated that Smith should have been removed from the ceremony as well, while 36% agreed with him staying.
Along with his plummeting popularity, the incident at the Oscars has also affected Smith’s future projects, such as his upcoming Netflix film Fast and Loose and Bad Boys 4, both of which have been put on “pause” since the Oscars. The incident may also affect projects produced through Smith’s production company, Westbrook. Westbrook was founded in 2019 by Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith and co-produced King Richard, as well as Netflix’s Cobra Kai, Peacock’s Bel-Air and Pinkett Smith’s talk show, Red Table Talk.
“His brand is permanently tarnished in regards to (four-quadrant films, which appeal to all audiences),” an anonymous Hollywood agent said of Smith. “This just became his Tom Cruise/Mel Gibson moment, where he’s always going to be a star, but he just went from A+ to A and gave people like Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Tom Holland a clearer lane.”
While presenting at the Oscars, Rock made a joke about 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 and Smith, in response to the joke, shocked the audience — and Rock — by walking on stage and slapping the comedian across the face.
Smith was later awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard. In the days following the ceremony, the actor issued a formal apology for the slap, which he called “unacceptable and inexcusable.” After an enormous amount of backlash, Smith has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” Smith said in his statement. “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.” He continued, “Change takes time,” Smith states, “and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.
Source: Morning Consult
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