Will Smith Eager for Revival After Slap Tarnishes Career; ‘We Believed He Was Universally Loved,’ Commentator Reflects

Many people remember where they were when they saw Will Smith‘s infamous Oscars slap. No matter if you saw it live during the show or watched clips later of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marching up onstage and slapping Chris Rock across the face, most people had the same reaction of disbelief.

Smith was such a popular actor and admired by many, so to see him slap a beloved comedian for doing what comedians do disappointed a majority of his fans. There was some debate about whether Rock’s joke directed at Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, went too far. But almost everyone agreed that the Bad Boys star could have handled things much differently than the delayed reaction of walking on stage, putting his hands on someone, and cursing at him from his seat after the fact.

Smith later revealed that he apologized to Rock and was sorry for his actions. But in the court of public opinion, the Men in Black actor has never been viewed the way he once was.

Here’s why some are saying Smith is “desperate for a comeback” now after he was spotted out with Jada for the first time in nearly a year.

Smith is ‘desperate for a comeback’ after slap heard ’round the world

Years later, it’s still hard to unsee the image of Smith marching up on stage and hitting Rock right in the face. Many have argued that Smith and Jada’s careers have suffered since. Now, a couple of commentators believe the duo’s recent outing together was in an effort to get people talking about them since they are “desperate for a comeback.”

Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi reported that the pair were seen leaving Nobu and pointed out the restaurant is a celebrity hotspot in Malibu that “you don’t go to unless you want to be papped.”

According to commentator and To Di for Daily podcast host Kinsey Scholfield, the two are “definitely looking for positive press … [Jada] had that book that totally bombed not too long ago [and] Smith signed a new deal that isn’t going to come to fruition instantly. He released an album this year.

“They are desperate for a comeback … they’ve got to make money, and I’m sure that they want to maintain their lifestyle. But are we ready to forgive them? I’m not so sure.”

Panahi and Schofield also talked about just how damaging the slap incident was to Smith’s career and the perception of him now among his fans.

“His fall from grace, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it in the celebrity world,” Panahi remarked, before adding that the slap pretty much “destroyed” Smith’s career.

“It contradicted who he was so completely,” Schofield opined. “We thought that he was everyone’s best friend. We thought he was a happy-go-lucky … He’s the same guy that refused to curse in his music … It was hard for us to digest. I think we were incredibly disappointed.”