Will Smith to address ‘elephant in the room’ amid Hollywood comeback

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Will Smith will tackle his infamous Oscars slap “head on” ahead of his Hollywood comeback.

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The 55-year-old actor stars alongside Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Smith is preparing to embark on a big public relations campaign ahead of the film’s release.

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“This film is Will’s big comeback and his team are going all out to get him out there,” a source told The Sun newspaper.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is Smith’s first major film project since he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March 2022.

And the Hollywood veteran intends to address the “elephant in the room” during the promotional campaign for the movie.

“He will deal head on with the slap and how he has changed since then,” the insider explained. “It’s likely he will also speak about his marriage to Jada, after they secretly split up more than six years ago.

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“The slap is still a bit of an elephant in the room and Will is going to tackle it head on.

“He is booked to appear on a number of big U.S. TV shows and will be an open book.

“People love a redemption story and Will has done a lot of work on himself. He also has a huge fan base who want him back in the thick of the action.”

Smith previously apologized to Rock, 59, for his behaviour at the Oscars.

The actor also promised that he would make amends for his mistake.

He said in a statement: “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world. And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”

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