Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock Controversy Won’t Go Away

The release of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die revived the discourse surrounding Will Smith’s infamous slap at the 2022 Academy Awards. Two years after the incident, comedian Rob Schneider bashed Smith for smacking Chris Rock during an appearance on The Kyle & Jackie O Show.

“Will Smith is a t###,” Schneider said. “Will Smith has been hiding the fact of who he really is, and it was exposed that night. He’s really an a######. He’s a deep, dark thing—to do that in front of all those people to a really great legendary comedian who’s literally the best comedian of our generation. You wouldn’t have this whole wave of comedy if it wasn’t for Chris Rock.”

He added, “He’s a liar. Complete, utter fraud. It was exposed in that time … Will is a d########.”

Schneider’s comments attracted online attention just days after ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith voiced concerns about Will Smith’s reemergence in the spotlight. Stephen A. Smith believed Will Smith owed the Black community an explanation for slapping Rock.

“You got to have a conversation as to why you did that,” SAS said. “It’s primarily us Black people that have loved and supported you and watched you go on an international stage and slap one of us in the face.”

He continued, “A lot of folks ain’t get over that. A lot of folks find it hard to just go to the movies to watch you. I’m one of those people, and I never missed a Will Smith movie.”

Stephen A. Smith faced backlash for his comments. The talking head declared he would “stand down” in response.

“Throughout Will Smith’s life, not just his career, there has been exponentially far more good than bad, and I certainly did not mean to gloss over that,” SAS said.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, the fourth entry in the Bad Boys franchise, hit theaters on June 7. The film raked in $56 million in its opening weekend.