‘People are looking to forgive him’: inside Will Smith’s carefully choreographed comeback

They aren't.

Nope

No, thanks. We've had sufficient.

[quote] ‘People are looking to forgive him’:

Keep "people" out of your mouth !

I feel like people who were outraged over the slap never watched his films anywhere,

I think his audience is more outraged by his embarrassing relationship with Jada than they were the slap.

Only DL and white women clutched their pearls over the slap.

Who are these people wanting to forgive him? Not me or anyone I know. Maybe they meant that people want to forget him.

You can take those people out of the jungle....

I'm not looking to forgive Will Smith. I don't know anybody else who is looking to forgive him either.

He should stay away for quite a while longer.

I’ve had sufficient

Will Smith turned the Oscars into what my grandchildren call "the Source Awards."

At least there wasn't a gun.

Nah, R5, everyone was shocked and embarrassed by what Will Smith did to Chris Rock on that stage in front of the biggest audience in the world. It's not a Mary! thing at all.

Peak Will & Jada Pinkett Smith.

R11 Yes all the straight men who watch his action movies were outraged. Ok.

He was acting like a n---er. Kanye Jay Z etc. Violent animals.

WTF is wrong with black men?

His new movie is predicted to make $60+ million first weekend.

Sure his Oscar bait crowd might be done with him but his audience of straight men who love action and grew up with his action movies didn’t give a fuck about the Oscars, the video of the slap was probably the first time they saw the Oscars.

He’s never actually been cancelled.

Like I said, he was more clowned on for his relationship with Jada.

And yes it’s MARY!

The gays and women here outraged over Will Smith and hate him now probably didn’t know or care a new “Bad Boys” movie was coming out and have probably never watched any of them cause they never cared for Will Smith.

Whatever the narrative about him is on this board is quite the opposite to the GP

If Will had a real chance at rehabilitation it was pretty much ruined when Jada blabbed all about their dysfunctional non-marriage in her awful book. He's got to get rid of her if he wants any chance (however slight) at rehabilitation. Everyone dislikes her, and she keeps dragging him down even further.

The problem is also now that he's just too old to get the kind of audience he used to get before his troubles. He can no longer fool people into thinking he's cute and sweet, and he never will again. He would have to cultivate a new image.

Jada keep Will's balls firmly and snugly in her purse

It's weird that this piece--which is so dependent on the loaded comments of PR people--would be published by the Guardian. You would think they of all news sources would be more suspicious of and pessimistic about his attempts to rehabilitate his image.

r19 everybody hates them

well at least we won't see him at the Academy Awards for at least 8 years

R14 Is Harvey Weinstein, the most thanked man at the Oscars, a black man too?

R17 You guys are so out of touch and you’ll understand that next week when Bad Boy’s box office weekend numbers come out.

I don’t even like Will Smith.

r22 it's not good for blacks. Some of the most prominent black men are acting like violent n---r apes. Not a good look at all.

He held onto that towel though

Block the poster who typed "apes" and you won't regret it.

Just fuck off R24 you filthy racist cunt.

Just block everyone and get off the DL you damn dirty apes

Seriously, what is it with these major black celebrties acting like apes? Is it a rot in black culture? No matter how successful they get they still act like violent apes? Like OJ Simpson was? You'll never see white apes like Alan Ritchson etc. acting like feral apes.

What gives?

What BULLSHIT. No one is "looking to forgive him" - except himself and his publicist.

Planted shit.

White ape Channing Tatum has been a model of domesticity, he even married a Kennedy.

WTF is wrong with these black celebs acting like jungle n--ers? It's a serious problem.

I don't know why so many people in this thread are shilling for Will Smith. His career peaked years before he slapped Chris Rock. The people who like will Smith like him because of work he did 20+ years ago like MIB. No one gives a fuck about Bad Boys 9: Old Men in a Porsche

r31 wtf

The 'his audience doesn't care' posters completely miss the point. It's Will Smith who cares, enormously, hence the PR campaign. His ego has been greatly dented by no longer being the beloved Hollywood prince.

trial balloons 🎈 exploding in midair

Has he ever acknowledged how widely inappropriate his behavior was? Has he ever apologized to Chris Rock? Nobody is looking to forgive him.

Sounds like we have some devoted MAGA cult members in this thread who are FURIOUS that their diapered orange dicktator has been convicted on all charges in NY! And they are taking it on DL in the ways they know best and excel at - shitty racism, nasty hateful bullshit and shitting all over other groups of people.

In real life - these cunt posters would have the living shit beaten out of them by other gays - and they know it.

[quote]Only DL and white women clutched their pearls over the slap.

Most of the people I see defending him are white women. 'He was DEFENDING his wife!. She's has alopecea you know..'

R36 Will very publicly apologised the next day. Written by his PR no doubt, be he did post it.

I disliked him before this, now I hate him. A violent, entitled asshole doesn't deserve forgiveness - just go away.

Fuck that asshole closet case.

R32 Again, you’re out of touch to say that.

Summer movies have been flopping and Bad Boys 9 will probably be the first hit of the summer.

So your opinion is so irrelevant.

Does anyone here seriously believe that in a country where one half of the electorate believes that not only is it okay for a convicted felon to be a presidential candidate, they think it's perfectly fine that said convicted felon is elected President, that a guy who slapped merely another guy on live TV can't be successfully "rehabilitated."

I hate Will Smith with a passion, always have and always will. But I also know he has a rabid fan base, just like Trump, who is more than willing to look the other way at his misbehavior, especially one as seemingly trivial (to them) as slapping a fellow actor on live TV.

If the 4th entry in this always terrible series turned out to be the first (of very few) hits this summer, then Will Smith is continuing his assault on the film business.

Batshit insane Scientologists.

The new Bad Boys crap will be his last acting credit for a while. Everything else is still in pre-production.

I’ll be shocked if Bad Boys makes anywhere near $60m in its opening weekend. Furiosa barely cracked $30 over a holiday weekend with good reviews. The box office isn’t what it used to be.

Arrogant, self-entitled, spoiled....

Can we have a lineup of the dumb hoes who gave standing ovations?

#Forgivenesssowhite

The Rock is pretty much eating smith's lunch. Smith will not make a proper comeback.

Is he still in the closet?

I’d still do him.

Yes, with all that’s going on in the world, forgiving Will Smith is of utmost concern and Importance. Yes, we are actively seeking to forgive Will. Why won’t he let us forgive him? This poor, poor millionaire. My heart breaks for him.

Those Bad Boys trailers make me nauseous. Are they de-aged?? They have giant shiny pumpkin heads, and the “jokes” are not it.

FUCK YOU…Cunt!

He’s done. He will never ever be able to live that down. It’ll haunt every interview and be mentioned in his can’t-come--soon-enough obituary.

I’m with R49. Not only didn’t the Academy NOT remove him immediately, they proceeded to give him an Oscar. And the crowd stood and applauded?!

r58, that happened over two years ago and was much, much commented on at the time... yet you're complaining about it NOW?

Next you're going to be complaining about the shocking lack of lifeboats on the Titanic.

Millennials were Latchkey Kids, and have a lot of nostalgia for late-80s/early90s TV.

HA! Publicists will try to sell anything, won’t they?

The average person just thinks Will Smith is pathetic, violent and a little creepy. He’s not an admirable public figure anymore.

They didn't ask me.

I'm not ready to forgive him.

I don't think I'm alone, either.

No, really, R59? Idiot.

When the PR rep lands the intended strategy in the headline, no matter how implausible.

Was it before or after the Oscars that someone announced they saw his ass being murdered? That could have played into the rage 😡

It wouldn’t surprise me if his movie did well, but I don’t think that’s the same as being forgiven. We Americans want our entertainment even if we don’t like the entertainer.

Nope. No we are not. Go fuck yourself Will Smith. And Jada too.

Will Smith explained

If any celebrity can rehabilitate himself it’s Will Smith. He’s hated on DL because of the gay rumors (while married to a woman) and the general public got sick of his wife but he still holds a lot of nostalgia for people of a certain generation.

He still cannot act, however.

R66 No it’s not we Americans. It’s going to be majority straight male Americans.

Who don’t give a shit about the slap or most of all the Oscars.

Most non-homosexual men thought it was funny.

It was amusing to see the shoulder shrugging of straight guys on Facebook and Reddit juxtaposed against the hysterical Mary!ness of DLers.

People in attendance at the Oscars appeared to have forgiven him, and he was allowed to give a self-serving speech that went on and on without the orchestra playing him off

King Richard and Emancipation did not fare well at the Box Office

I think Bad Boys 3 got a huge boost from nostalgia and curiosity that Bad Boys 4 won't get it. There was a seventeen year gap between Bad Boys 2 and 3. This time they'll be a four year gap. Audiences might be sick of those characters.

I love posters like r70 and r71 who think they have a finger on the pulse of what young straight bros think of Will Smith. Big "I'm not like other girls" energy.

How many deluded publicists does it take to create a hoped-for outcome?

More than Will’s got, clearly.

[quote] His career is over.

You never know do you. I've seen celebrities do much worse and remain stars.

He reached his breaking point that night.

The same people that defended him for the slap were roasting him on Twitter the summer prior over Jadas “entanglement” with August Alisha. They were making fun of his masculinity and how weak he came across when he sat down with Jada to discuss their marriage on Red Table Talk. Jada has been low key clowning him for the last few years as well. It was only a matter of time before he exploded. The slap was never about protecting Jada. It was his bitterness over becoming a joke and his need to prove himself to everyone.

He wouldn’t have done it to a white man btw. Read his comments about the making of emancipation. The guy has issues and needs therapy and a divorce.

R73 It’s not that energy, it’s simply cultural and generational.

No, old white bird watching gays who listen to Laura Branigan and can quote “Murder She Wrote” have no insight into what straight black men watch or think about Will Smith.

And what younger people will go to the movies for.

This idea that Will Smith is disgraced for the slap is so false. If anything, people feel bad for him because of Jada lol.

Like I said, I’ll make sure to bump this thread when my point is proven.

And yet, you can magically know or speak for what white gays think with insight

Most college educated, professional men found Smith's performance at the Oscars to be dumb and attention-seeking.

Impulsive and idiotic.

We are?

R75 the culture was different in 1972. Besides Jane is still Hanoi Jane to some 50 years later. And the media didn't play a video of Jane 24/7. What Will Shit did was witnessed by a worldwide audience

Ironically GI Jada spearheaded the #OscarsSoWhite movement which her husband pretty much demolished. Love how she talks about 'diminishing dignity'

Lupita and Will are laughing at the joke and then . . .

The joke wasn't mean. Ellen's Liza Minnelli joke was.

Tiny penis energy

Can you imagine if Liza punched Ellen?

I would have paid money to see that. She's rumored to have a temper, and allegedly cold cocked David Gest.

That would've been awesome r86. When Ellen made that stupid joke at the Oscars Liza should've ran onstage and slapped the cunt into next week.

KEEP MY NAME OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!

R15 I agree with you but what makes me so pissed off and actually would like him to be canceled is their hypocrisy. I surprised more in black Hollywood are speaking on it. I wish they would. These bitches wanted black actors to boycott the awards just a few years ago. And then they come to the show and act like this. This cunt goes on stage to slap another black man over a mafuckin hair joke. And her bald headed ass looked great. She needs to fkin relax; she probably don’t even have real alopecia, just too many perms and weaves over the years. The are scum in my book. I suspect it’s some shit that has transpired that either party doesn’t want to discuss— probably Chris Rock tryna holla at Jada hoe ass during one of the Hollywood swinger parties. It just was so fkin obnoxious. Can you imagine being an upcoming black actor invited, what was it Oscars 2017 and the biggest black actor on the planet is asking you to boycott. I hope every film he comes out with flops except Bad Boys 4 because I like Martin Lawrence.

Will Smith turned the Oscars into The Source Awards.

[quote]Can you imagine if Liza punched Ellen?

[quote]I would have paid money to see that. She's rumored to have a temper, and allegedly cold cocked David Gest.

Liza has punched [italic]many[/italic] people.

It's lucky "Georgia" never corrected Liza about her name on the Shopping Channel and that she wasn't actually in the room, or Liza would have pounded her into next week.

What really pissed me off about the 2022 Academy Awards is that it was directed by Will Packer and many of the top categories had black actors and directors, it was an opportunity for DEI to shine, and they just shat all over it. It was a travesty and a fucking disgrace. I'm sure for some people who harbored prejudices against blacks , this just validated their stereotype views. Personally, I had already been losing interest in bullshit and quality of the AA nominees over the last few years , and this incident just made me give up on the whole institution. If Will Smith had been either escorted out or arrested, I would have felt some appropriate reaction was taken, but they allowed him to stay, they presented him with his award, and even gave him a standing ovation. They normalized his behavior and basically said what transpired was acceptable and justified. Fuck that. There was nothing acceptable about it.

I’d like to but I can’t.

Has Teafake commented?

Yes, r94 - over at r89

I don't actually care, r95

Pardon me, r96. i thought that was your surreptitious way of getting someone to post the link for you so you could have a laugh.

MARY!!!

Like Kevin Spacey, haven’t missed him one bit.

Chris at the 2016 Oscars; the year Jada boycotted an event she wasn't invited to.

If I want public freakouts, please be as entertaining as Klaus Kinski or Helmut Berger, coked up to the gills. I remember a public live discussion on the pros and cons of outing on private TV in the 90. Bliss! He wasn't always right but at least he was outrageous in a flamboyant way. Smith is just a violent dick. I don't care how his little ego was hurt. Chris Rock I like - and he only did his job that night.

Will Smith assaulted Chris Rock. He should have been escorted out of the Oscars when it happened. The fact that he was nor speak to the privilege that Smith had as a celebrity.

Has he demonstrated remorse, repentance, and rehabilitation for his actions? I don't know. I haven't kept up with him.

If he has, Will Smith deserves a second chance.

See R39, nimrod.

I forgive him but I think he's a cunt and don't miss him at all.

If he feels that, or anyone else does, re-watch the tape.

Jada didn't spend all that money on wigs just so she could NOT sit at the Oscars every Spring.

It's all her doing. He was young, stupid, and aimless when he met her. But she drilled him into being this vacant A-lister, all so she could be the sidekick and gain access to a world she'd never see on her own merits. She's like an evil Rita Wilson.

Good summary r105. She's pretty loathsome.

Rita Wilson is no fucking picnic either. She's just much more stealth about it.

The way Will Smith could redeem himself is if he promised we would never ever see his annoying wife or kids again in public or on social media. It would be a good start.

BB4 has to gross $200M to break even.

R109 Most of that is Will's salary and points.

Bring back the streakers!

from #OscarsSoWhite to #OscarsSoGhetto thanks to Will

I don't think people are looking to forgive, I think a PR firm planted a story about people looking to forgive.

I couldn't get over how GAY it was he slapped him. If he had punched him it would have been very different. But a slap was like Dominique and Alexis.

I half-expected Chris Rock to say after the slap, "It is Jada you should slap, dear... not I!"

R113 = Helen Keller

Is he gay? Will he ever come out?

‘People are looking to forgive him’

Who are these people. Will Smith's press agent and his manager. Anybody else? I doubt it.

They are releasing Bad Boys 4 into the weakest box office environment in decades. Nobody is going to the movies right now for reasons that are only partially understood. I will be shocked if it breaks even worldwide. A just OK 68% Rotten Tomatoes score (currently) won't help much.

R118 Bet money Bad Boys 4 is a hit.

[quote]Nobody is going to the movies right now for reasons that are only partially understood.

Maybe it's because every movie that's currently playing in theaters is a steaming pile of shit?

R118 You think people who watch Bad Boys care about reviews? Have any of them been well reviewed?

I never understood his appeal. He's not attractive and an ok actor but nothing special. But I've only seen two of his movies (Six Degrees and Pursuit of Happ(y)ness).

[Quote] Nobody is going to the movies right now for reasons that are only partially understood.

[Quote] Maybe it's because every movie that's currently playing in theaters is a steaming pile of shit?

The cost of movie tickets and streaming services which offer something other than sequels, remakes and Marvel crap

R119 in terms of BO revenue what constitutes a 'hit'? According to SCREENRANT Bad Boys: Ride or Die's box office needs to make around $200 million to succeed.

R122 To me he is one of those people that is clearly handsome but does nothing for me. For one he kinda looks like me just more AA while I kinda look exotic. And of course I’m a better looking cunt.

No we are not OP.

Everyone sick of him and his weird family. They can stay gone, all of them. He should’ve been charged with assault. I can’t really watch the Oscars anymore because of him they’re all a bunch of cowards just like Jim Carrey said.

With all the craziness these days, I was inured to most anything on TV or on the web. On that Oscar night, I was thoroughly shocked and horrified seeing Will Smith slap Chris Rock. Afterwards, I was angry, because of the deliberate cruelty. I won't overlook it; it's too ingrained in my memory. It's not my place "to forgive", but nothing will ever erase that despicable behavior.

Looks like Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a hit.

[quote] Looks like Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a hit.

Please show us where it actually says that in the article, which is about box office projections, not about what's actually happened yet.

Isn’t the audience for this poor minorities and illegal immigrants?

[Quote] [R113] = Helen Keller

Get mah NAME outta your MOUTH bitch.

Who plays Will’s boyfriend in the sequel? Duane Martin?

Mmm hmm

[quote] Please show us where it actually says that in the article, which is about box office projections, not about what's actually happened yet.

Well, let me rephrase that: "Looks like Bad Boys: Ride or Die is PREDICTED to be a hit."

[quote]’People are looking to forgive him’

No. They’re not.

Will Smith is now a punchline and a footnote in history.

That slap will be remembered long after his films are forgotten

Movie won't be released until Friday

I wonder if he gave the majority of his money to Scientology? That "school" he bankrolled wasn't cheap.

Box Office: ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die' Makes $5.9 Million in Previews

The slap was horrible, also because it didn’t look like a completely natural reaction but something that was telegraphed by his wife and their mutual insecurities. People fail, of course, but he had a chance, an hour or later, to make it good. Instead he accepted an oscar without showing compunction or admitting any wrong doing. Later apologies seemed contrived.

I don’t hate Will Smith, and i dont think , horrible as his behavior was, that itper se deserves a cancellation ad eternum. But the way this has been done, trying to ignore the issue and an honest apology is not, in my view the way. In any event is career as an actor doesn’t interest me and i suspect, nowadays, not many people

The closet kills in interesting, devious, ways.

It was outrageous. He should have been escorted from the room immediately and sent out the door sans gift bag.

I’m with you guys,can’t stand those attention seekers-that “JADA” is that what she is called? trying to be famous for what? being a cunt-you are a famous cunt.

“Bad Boys” will be the first summer blockbuster movie to open as a hit.

I tried to tell you guys his audience doesn’t give a shit about the Oscar slap.

Continued from R144

The buddy cop feature also marks Smith’s first wide theatrical release since he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards, shortly before the “King Richard” star won the Oscar for best actor. That incident sparked controversy within the industry, but it doesn’t seem to have tempered moviegoers’ affinity for Smith now more than two years later. Early ticket buyers are also positive on “Ride or Die,” with audience survey firm Cinema Score turning in a “A-” grade.

Seriously - up posts are right. His ONLY chance is to permanently get the fuck away from Jada, who has shown everyone what a manipulative, lying, controlling bitch she is.

People like Will Smith - even if he's been a bit too over the top. I blame Jada - seriously.

[quote] Early ticket buyers are also positive on “Ride or Die,” with audience survey firm Cinema Score turning in a “A-” grade.

I'd be interested in seeing the demographics of those viewers

Subnormal IQ

They're both such a couple of fucking assholes

Who's the weirdo desperately bigging-up Will Smith and Bad Boys?

This is not an important film. It's Summer trash.

$cio closet cunt.

R150 I’m not bigging up Bad Boys. I’ve never even seen the first movie let alone the sequels.

My point is that this movie was NOT for you and thinking this movie would tank and Will Smith was over was just emotionally driven hatred for him and not based on reality.

I was called out of touch because I said straight guys don’t give a fuck about the Oscars or the fact that he slapped Chris Rock.

I don’t even like Will Smith but I’m smart enough to know this movie wasn’t tanking and his career isn’t over.

And as someone mentioned Hollywood turning their back on him, that’s stupid because he’s one of the few stars left in Hollywood that still has an audience.

Guess this means he's forgiven:

Everything about his life and career has been "carefully choreographed." Every single thing he does is calculated to make him more famous. Nothing else matters to him.

It's rather embarrassing for an Oscar winner to be doing a juvenile buddy movie, isn't it? But if it makes money, he won't care how stupid it is. The only reason he won an Oscar was because Hollywood was grateful to him for generating lots of money. There's no reason for him to stop that now.

Pretty sure that the people who saw this film don’t care about the Oscars.

[quote] I'd be interested in seeing the demographics of those viewers

Oh, I bet you are.

[QUOTE] It's rather embarrassing for an Oscar winner to be doing a juvenile buddy movie, isn't it?

That “juvenile buddy movie” will make more money than Meryl Streep’s last 10 forgettable snoozefests combined.

I don't care about him at all.

What does Meryl have to do with Will Smith? And I can think of four movies that combined will make more than this: Little Women, The Post, Mary Poppins Returns, and Mama Mia Here We Go Again.

This is the most appropriate comeback for him. It's an IP and sharing title roles with another actor with less toxic reputation. And I heard the movie was well-made and liked by those who saw it. Also, not much choices for moviegoers right now.

Will's Scientology activities need to be fully exposed.

Maybe, Bradley Cooper will help with the comeback. Remember when Bradley hugged Will after the slap

The huge teenage audience that will flock to this movie does not care one jot about Smith’s past behaviour. It’ll be a hit and Hollywood being the business it is loves money. That’s the bottom line, indeed the only line. It in no way alters the fact that Smith’s behaviour was utterly reprehensible and in many walks of life he would have been finished - and rightly so.

Huge TEENAGE audience?

He didn’t kill anybody like Alex Baldwin. He had a meltdown on the biggest night of his life. He’s paid for it with humiliation and career damage. Good for him if he’s back to making movies people enjoy. If you can’t forgive him don’t support his work.

I don’t get the desire to see his career destroyed.

R165 That's good for you. I'm not into normalizing an assault made on live television regardless of who it is. We don't need celebrities with marginal talent prone to assault to be venerated. You can be a fan boy, that's your prerogative. Comparing an intentional assault to the accidental death that occurred on the Alec Baldwin film set is absurd.

I think part of the problem was he showed no genuine remorse or regret and any apology made was extremely half assed and insincere.

I can't wait to never forgive Will Smith.

I’m not forgiving him or his cunt wife.

His wife is a bigger problem than the slap. I couldn’t give a shit less about the slap, but the fact that he’s a cuckold has forever altered the way I look at him. Jada did more damage by destroying his manhood than any cancelation from slapgate could ever do.

The slap should never be forgotten or forgiven, the consequences should hurt to prevent others from the same behavior.

Jada needs to be stomped on.

I'm not a fan of Jada or Will but didn't we know about them years ago? This is unrelated to the slap - he should be run out of town for that mess. Back to my main point - didn't we all know about Jada and Will many years ago? He's gay and so is she - no? Wasn't that what Jada's whole "life on the road as a wannabe rockstar" thing was all about? And we all know how the $cienos scoop up Homos.

Their relationship being weird and beard/merkin in tone isn't a surprise. The physical violence was a surprise and it will remain one for many years.

I have to be honest, I still haven’t fully digested the slap. To be on the brink of the highlight of your life, to receive the biggest honor in your profession, and then to destroy your career with one reckless moment, is still astonishing to me. I’ll never really get it.

At least slap was black on black. If otherwise we’d be civil war 2-with Trump in command