Will Smith, 55, has captivated audiences with his captivating performances throughout his amazing career spanning over three decades. But in 2016, when he and his spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith, chose not to attend the esteemed Oscars, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star found himself at the center of controversy. What compelled this contentious couple to make such a bold move?
According to THR, the actor is among the Hollywood celebrities who are disappointed with the lack of diversity in the 2016 Oscar nominations. Not a single non-white actor has received a nomination for an Academy Award in acting for the second consecutive year. As a result, Smith and his wife decided to boycott the Oscars, which occurred several years before the Chris Rock slap incident in 2022.
Will Smith Once Boycotted Oscars Along With His Wife Jada Pinkett Smith
Will Smith expressed his disappointment with the lack of diversity in the 2016 Oscar nominations, given that no non-white actors were nominated for any acting awards for the second year in a row. The Concussion actor told ABC News‘ Robin Roberts during their interview that he did not think that 2016’s nominees truly captured the splendor and diversity of America:
“The beauty of Hollywood combined with American ideals is the ultimate dream for humanity: the basis of the American concept of anything is possible, with hard work and dedication, no matter your race or religion, creed, none of that matters in America. I think that diversity is the American superpower. That’s why we are great..”
Many felt that Smith should have been nominated for his work as Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion. Although he vehemently stated that every actor nominated was “fantastic…and deserving”, he was troubled by a broader trend he perceived in the preponderance of white nominees. He made note of:
“I’ve been nominated twice for Academy awards and I’ve never lost to a white person. The first time I lost to Denzel [Washington] and the second time I lost to Forest Whitaker. When I see this list and series of nominations that come out — and everybody is fantastic and that’s the complexity of this issue, everyone is beautiful and deserving and its fantastic — but it feels like it’s going the wrong direction…”
Amidst the serious interview, Smith shared a humorous anecdote about how he was unaware that Jada Pinkett Smith, was preparing to share a Facebook video in which she declared she would not be attending the Oscars (2016) because of the all-white nominees. The Men in Black star added:
“I was out of the country at the time, and I came home and I went, ‘What happened?’”
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s daring Oscar boycott brought attention to the pervasive problem of racial inequality in Hollywood.
Will Smith And Chris Rock’s Oscar Slapping Incident
During his appearance on the Academy Awards stage on March 27, 2022, Will Smith gave comedian Chris Rock a hard slap across the face while the latter was presenting the Best Documentary Feature award. The blow to the face was in response to a joke that Rock had made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has been shaving her head since 2021 due to alopecia areata.
The Independence Day actor then took his seat again and yelled obscenities at Rock, who returned his gaze for a brief moment before continuing with his speech.
Later that night, he was honored with an award for Best Actor. As per The New York Times, in his acceptance speech, he expressed regret to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and other nominees, but he did not specifically mention Rock. The next day, he apologized to Rock and the AMPAS on social media.
Smith resigned from AMPAS on April 1st, anticipating suspension or expulsion, and was barred from attending any AMPAS-related events for ten years, beginning on April 8. The incident dominated the rest of the ceremony and became the talk of the town.
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