One year down, nine more to go until Will Smith can return to the Oscars!
The 95th Academy Awards show occurred on Sunday, March 12, without the “Aladdin” star and his family. Showrunners banned the entertainer from attending the prestigious event for ten years following his controversial encounter with Chris Rock.
Last year, the “Six Degrees of Separation” actor shocked the world by slapping the comedian at the award ceremony. The Hollywood veteran’s actions came in defense of his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith after the latter made a joke about her baldness.
Given his lack of invitation to the Oscars, the Golden Globe Award winner did not wallow in self-pity but spent his weekend absorbing wisdom from a famous life coach. Keep reading for more details!
Will Smith Supports Jay Shetty’s Show While His Mates Enjoy The Academy Awards Ceremony
As Hollywood’s greatest hitmakers and newcomers stepped out in the best attires to celebrate and be celebrated at the Academy Awards show, one renowned figure was absent from the famous red carpet.
While members of the entertainment industry filled up the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the “Men In Black” star and his loved ones enjoyed a wellness program. DailyMail revealed that the actor, alongside his wife and mother-in-law Adrienne Banfield-Norris, attended Jay Shetty‘s Love Rules show.
The family joined celebrities like Gammy Norris and Lauren London to enjoy a powerful session with the life coach guru. A snippet from the wellness program read: “Jay will take the audience on a journey of finding, keeping, and even letting go of love.”
The show included “live meditations, experiments, and demonstrations,” which promised to help attendees enjoy a memorable and life-changing evening. Given Shetty’s pledge of an unforgettable time, perhaps his show was not a bad trade for the Oscars.
Smith’s 10-year ban from the award ceremony meant the disgraced entertainer could no longer present the Best Actor trophy at this year’s event. Instead, the honor was passed to the sensational actress Halle Berry, who gave the Oscars for Best Actor and Actress.
A source claimed that the “After Earth” star regretted slapping Rock at the 2022 award show and has tried “unsuccessfully” to solve his differences with the comedian. However, the stand-up personality recently opened up about the controversial affair in a Netflix comedy special.
As shared by The Blast, Rock pulled out the big guns in his “Selective Outrage” special, taking several shots at Smith. The 58-year-old addressed the younger entertainer’s slap as an outlet for his wife’s scandalous affair with August Alsina.
He also slammed the couple for publicly airing their dirty laundry on “Red Table Talk,” Pinkett-Smith’s talk show. Discussing the offensive matter, Rock said: “I didn’t have any entanglements. Will Smith’s wife was f**king her son’s friend, OK. Normally I would not talk about that sh*t, but for some reason, they put that on the internet.”
These remarks were among several digs the comedian took against the Smiths, insults that left the “Hancock” star feeling bitter. Per sources, the Philadelphia native was “embarrassed and hurt” by the stand-up personality’s jokes.
The informant noted that the “Emancipation” star did not watch the Netflix special but received news about the show from friends. According to the insider, the father-of-three was surprised Rock had not forgiven him for the Oscars incident despite his numerous apologies.
Academy Showrunners Promise To Avoid Another Smith And Rock Debacle
Last month, ahead of the 95th Annual Academy Awards, it was reported that Janet Yang, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, addressed the 2022 fallout between Smith And Rock. The head of the award ceremony opened up about the situation at the 2023 Oscars Nominees Luncheon.
During the event, the 66-year-old explained that she regretted how the Oscars committee handled the situation. According to the New Yorker, her organization’s response was “inadequate” to a matter she deemed “wholly unacceptable.”
The “South Central” producer noted that the Academy reacted poorly during the 2022 awards telecast following Smith’s actions against Rock. Yang assured the audience that such terrible misconduct would not occur subsequently. In the president’s words:
“We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately, and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
