{"id":103722,"date":"2024-06-10T16:15:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T16:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/10\/will-smith-slapped-on-screen-returns-to-box-office-dominance\/"},"modified":"2024-06-10T16:15:01","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T16:15:01","slug":"will-smith-slapped-on-screen-returns-to-box-office-dominance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/10\/will-smith-slapped-on-screen-returns-to-box-office-dominance\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Smith Slapped on Screen, Returns to Box Office Dominance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Will Smith is back from the dead.<\/p>\n<p>Or, at least, back from wherever one goes after one slaps the host of the Academy Awards on stage in front of millions of viewers because said host made a pretty basic joke about his wife.<\/p>\n<p>This is a long and confusing way of stating the following:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bad Boys: Ride or Die earned $104.6 million globally this weekend after being released on Friday.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-1024x577.webp\" alt=\"Bad Boys Ride or Die photo\" class=\"wp-image-501561 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-1024x577.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-768x433.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-728x410.webp 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-960x541.webp 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-1080x608.webp 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024-1200x676.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024.webp 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DF-23377_r-H-2024.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys Ride or Die.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (FRANK MASI\/SONY PICTURES)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The impressive figure came as a surprise to some because Smith has been out of the spotlight for years, really.<\/p>\n<p>As cited above, he made the shocking decision in March 2022 to confront Chris Rock at the Oscars after Rock made a quip about Jada Pinkett\u2019s bald head\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2022\/03\/will-smith-smacks-chris-rock-in-most-shocking-oscars-moment-of-a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">smacking Rock in the face at the time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We truly still can\u2019t believe this happened.<\/p>\n<p>At one point in Bad Boys 4, Smith\u2019s character gets slapped in the face repeatedly by Martin Lawrence\u2019s character in a scene that we\u2019d have to imagine was included purposely as some kind of nod to Smith\u2019s bizarre behavior back then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe scene acts as a kind of pop exorcism,\u201d critic Owen Gleiberman wrote in Entertainment Weekly, explaining in his review: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s \u2018punishing\u2019 Smith, making cruel fun of his transgression, and just maybe, in the process, allowing him to crawl out from under the image of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Will Smith with the press\" class=\"wp-image-501563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Will Smith with the press\" class=\"wp-image-501563 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155076389-scaled.jpg\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Lawrence and Will Smith pose during the red carpet for the movie \u2018Bad Boys: Ride or Die\u2019 at Cinepolis Parque Toreo on June 1, 2024 in Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Angel Delgado\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smith, of course, was one of the most popular celebrities alive pre-slap.<\/p>\n<p>But he was criticized sharply for basically assaulting Rock in the aforementioned manner, while folks were then left to also analyze his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2024\/06\/will-smith-divorced-jada-pinkett-smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unusual marriage to Pinkett Smith<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The spouses appear to be together, but have also hinted in the past that they have an open marriage.<\/p>\n<p>Not that we\u2019re judging. Whatever works, you know?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Martin Lawrence and Will Smith pose\" class=\"wp-image-501565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Martin Lawrence and Will Smith pose\" class=\"wp-image-501565 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2155539026-scaled.jpg\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Lawrence and Will Smith pose during a photoshoot for the movie \u2018Bad Boys: Ride or Die\u2019 at Angel de la Independencia on May 31, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Hector Vivas\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For Smith, going back to a franchise such as Bad Boys in order to return to big screen prominence has clearly worked out.<\/p>\n<p>In a six-minute video posted to his Instagram and YouTube accounts about two years ago, meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2022\/07\/will-smith-speaks-about-oscar-slap-for-first-time-chris-rock-wont-talk-to-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smith addressed the Rock slap<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will say to you Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I\u2019m here whenever you are ready to talk,\u201d the actor said, talking to the comedian directly and later adding:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to try to unpack all of that right now, but I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no part of me that thinks that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI 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 you know, if you hang on, I promise we\u2019ll be able to be friends again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/urls.grow.me\/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlaG9sbHl3b29kZ29zc2lwLmNvbS8yMDI0LzA2L3dpbGwtc21pdGgtc2xhcHBlZC1vbi1zY3JlZW4tcmV0dXJucy10by1ib3gtb2ZmaWNlLWRvbWluYW5jZS8=\/e\/*%7CEMAIL%7C*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Will Smith is back from the dead. Or, at least, back from wherever one goes after one slaps the host of the Academy Awards on stage in front of millions of viewers because said host made a pretty basic joke about his wife. This is a long and confusing way of stating the following: Bad [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-103722","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}