Will Smith Fears Being “Fully Canceled” Over Oscars Smack

Will Smith fears he’s “in the process of being fully canceled” after slapping presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. The King Richard Best Actor winner has plummeted in popularity since the incident at the 94th Academy Awards, according to poll data, and has reportedly had multiple projects put on the back burner in the days since the March 27 ceremony. This week, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Sony pressed pause on developing Bad Boys 4 and Netflix backed away from Fast and Loose, a crime drama that had Smith attached to star. 

A planned biopic about the superstar actor and rapper, known for roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Men in Black, and Independence Day, has also reportedly been jeopardized by Smith’s behavior after Netflix and Apple+ “quietly removed their bids” for the project. A potential Suicide Squad spinoff about his character, the eagle-eyed assassin Deadshot, remains on the back burner​ at Warner Bros.

“He feels terrible and is trying not to panic, but seeing his roles put on ice has been a hugely bitter pill to swallow,” a source close to the Smiths told Us Weekly. “His biggest fear is that he’s in the process of being fully canceled, and there’s nothing he can really do about it except sit back, suck up his punishment like a man and try to atone however he can.”

Smith is currently facing disciplinary action from the Academy over what the AMPAS condemned as “a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television.” Days after the Oscars, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors said it initiated disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.” 

The Bad Boys for Life actor resigned from the Academy​ this week, saying in a statement he will “fully accept any and all consequences” for his conduct and actions that were “shocking, painful, and inexcusable.” On April 6, Academy president David Rubin announced the board will meet this week to address possible sanctions against Smith​ in response to the attack on Rock. Because Smith resigned his Academy membership — making him ineligible to vote on the Oscars — suspension or expulsion from the Academy are no longer possibilities. 

Smith next stars in and produces Apple thriller Emancipation from Training Day and The Equalizer director Antonine Fuqua. The project, starring Smith as a runaway slave, sparked a bidding war between multiple studios in 2020 before being acquired by Apple TV+. A release date is TBA.