It’s almost hard to believe, but it’s been almost a year since the Academy Awards in 2022, when Will Smith famously took to the stage and slapped Chris Rock for a joke he made about the appearance of Jada Pinkett-Smith. The discussion surrounding the incident did not stop for several months, when the Oscar winner began his comeback tour. Almost a year later, Joe Rogan spoke out about whether people should forgive Smith for slapping him at the Oscars.
Joe Rogan has a wildly popular podcast called The Joe Rogan Experience, which often goes viral thanks to his various hot takes. Although he was initially quite critical of Will Smith after the “Slap”, it seems that time has softened his approach. In a recent episode, he explained why he thinks the Aladdin actor deserves forgiveness for his public misconduct, saying:
Now that I think about it, I think this guy needs to be forgiven. They say he is clearly deeply remorseful for what he did. And he also clearly lives in a world where he has been given nothing but flattery and praise for most of his life. And then suddenly he has this, in the eyes of many people, unforgivable moment when he does something so stupid. He’s human. You just have to forgive him, you know? And I think the real person who should forgive him—if he wants to—is Chris Rock.
Well, that’s it. Joe Rogan seems to think Will Smith deserves to be welcomed back to Hollywood. Namely, because he clearly repents of his actions at last year’s Oscar ceremony. In addition, Rogan believes that the years when Smith was an adored figure in the industry, which was equaled by generations of fans.
As mentioned earlier, Joe Rogan’s comments on his recent podcast episode contradict his initial reaction to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on TV. At that time, he officially stated that the actor/producer should have been kicked out of the Oscar after a slap in the face, and not allowed to stay and accept the award for best actor. In addition, he made a bet that Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith will divorce before the end of the year. But it seems that time has helped to change his point of view.
Despite the fact that a lot of time has passed, there are still discussions about Will Smith, Chris Rock and the consequences of The Slap. The King Richard actor stayed out of the public eye for several months before eventually returning to social media and the outside world. His professional comeback apparently began with the release of Antoine Fuqua’s film Emancipation, which could become another favorite of the awards season. We just need to see if voters were able to separate Smith and the film from his controversy. The material itself is certainly quite powerful.
“Emancipation” is already being broadcast on Apple TV+. Be sure to check out the movie’s release dates in 2023 to plan your next movie. We just need to look and see if Will Smith’s career continues after “Slap in the Face.”
