30 Nov - Will Smith recently stated that he understands if people are not ready to watch his new movie, "Emancipation", following his previous slap controversy, though hope that the movie will not be boycotted.
"My deepest concern is my team - Antoine [Fuqua] has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career. The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don't penalize my team. At this point, that's what I'm working for," he said. The upcoming movie marks Smith's first release since he made headlines around the world for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars following a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's struggle with alopecia. Based on a true story, the film sees Smith playing Peter, a runaway slave who navigates the Louisiana swamp to escape the plantation owners that nearly killed him.