Will Smith Hurt Over 'Emancipation' Getting Snubbed By The Golden Globes And Its Box Office Performance

Ever since he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, Will Smith's career has taken a significant hit, as evident from the poor performance of his latest film "Emancipation" at the box office. Smith is reportedly hurt by the film's poor performance and lack of recognition from the Golden Globes.

The legendary actor allegedly thought that the nine months since the slapping incident was enough time for the industry and moviegoers to forgive him and improve his image. However, that has evidently failed, and now Smith regrets not delaying the project further, especially because he believed the film would be a major point in his career.

Smith is also reportedly upset that another film icon and friend, Tom Cruise, has shunned him personally and professionally. 

Read on to find out more.

Earlier this year, during the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Smith shocked audiences by slapping Rock, who made a joke referencing Jada Pinkett-Smith's alopecia condition. The shock from that incident reverberated not just through the Oscar audiences but also filmgoers and is still impacting Smith's career months later.

His latest film project, "Emancipation," was one close to Smith's heart, but its performance at the box office has been a total disappointment. The "Pursuit of Happiness" actor is reportedly angry and hurt by the movie's poor performance and snub at the 2023 Golden Globe nominations.

According to a report by RadarOnline, Smith was initially upset by the modest performance of "Emancipation," which has only earned about $3k per cinema, which is too low compared to its $120 million budget. Now, the movie has received no nominations for the next Golden Globe awards, adding salt to injury.

According to the RadarOnline report, Smith was hopeful that the almost nine months since the slapping incident with Rock was enough time for the film industry and movie audiences to move on. The Oscar-winning actor felt that his image had improved enough, especially with his absence on social media.

A source close to Smith spoke to the news outlet and said, "Will knows it's a long road to redemption and a lot of folks won't forgive him. But this really rams it home." The "King Richard" actor is allegedly now regretting that he didn't delay the release of "Emancipation" as he believed the project would be a significant moment in his film career.

The same source also revealed to RadarOnline that Smith is sad that he's been shunned by several prominent figures in Hollywood, such as Tom Cruise. Cruise reportedly has no interest in building any relationship with Smith at all, whether personally or professionally, despite the actor's best efforts.

The source said, "Will has approached Tom several times, trying to reconnect and see if they can brainstorm on some projects together. A solid movie with Tom would guarantee Will's comeback, or so he thinks. Will has even offered to fly to London if that's more convenient, but Tom isn't biting and doesn't even write him back."

The source also explained that Cruise, who recently experienced success with the "Top Gun" sequel, wouldn't be "stupid enough to put his neck on the line and be dragged down by association,", especially by someone like Smith, who's "still kryptonite."

Smith has apologized to Rock, the Oscars Academy, and his fans in the months since the slap. In July, the actor made an emotional video in which he addressed the slap. In the video, Smith spoke about why he failed to apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech for best actor.

He said, "It's all fuzzy. 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." Smith then apologized again for his actions and called his behavior towards the comedian "unacceptable."

He also got visibly emotional as he said, "There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There's no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults."