Just one week after Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap, we’re starting to find out how that one moment could end up shaping the rest of his career. Will’s Hollywood career is starting to crumble, and it sounds like projects he’s already had in the works might not end up happening at all.
The Academy Awards ceremony was pretty eventful for Will.
Not only did he walk on stage to slap Chris Rock after he cracked a joke at the expense of Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, on March 27, but he also went on to win Best Actor, giving a tearful acceptance speech in the process. Will has since apologized for his actions, but at this point, it may not be enough to save his career.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty ImagesWill’s upcoming Netflix movie has been paused.
Will was set to star in the movie Fast and Loose, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, it had already lost its director, David Leitch, who withdrew from the project before the Oscars. In the wake of the slap heard ’round Hollywood, Netflix has seemingly stopped searching for a new director.
His project with Sony is on hold too.
The outlet also reported that Bad Boys 4, which was in preproduction, has now been paused as well, with Will only having received the first 40 pages of the script before the Oscars.
At this point, it’s unclear what the future of these projects might be.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFIWill withdrew from the Academy last week.
Days after the Academy announced that it would be looking into the incident to see if any disciplinary measures were necessary, Will took matters into his own hands and resigned from the organization himself.
“I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate,” he shared in a statement. “Change takes time, and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
Jerod Harris/Getty ImagesCould this be the end of Will’s career?
At this point, it’s too soon to say, but of course Will could continue acting without being a part of the Academy if he wants to. The real question is whether a studio will want to take a chance on him right now.
Who knew that one moment at the Oscars could lead to this big of an impact?
