Almost a month after Will Smith hit the headlines for slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the King Richard star has made his first public appearance.
Smith, 53, was photographed taking selfies with fans during a trip to Mumbai, India, on Saturday, April 23.
Saturday’s outing of the “New Prince of Bel-Air” graduate was the first time he was photographed after the Oscars last month. During the ceremony, the 57-year-old comedian joked that Jada Pinkett-Smith, who married the star Ali in 1997, could play a major role in a potential action movie “Soldiers.” Continuation of Jane because of her shaved head. (The 50-year-old Maryland native spoke candidly about her struggle with alopecia and hair loss.) While Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes slightly in response to the joke, Smith came on stage and punched Rock in the face.
The “Adult” actor refused to press charges against Smith, who won the coveted trophy for Best Actor on March 27, before the Philadelphia native made a public apology for his actions.
“Violence in all its forms is toxic and destructive,” Smith wrote in a statement on social media on March 28. — My behavior at yesterday’s Academy Award ceremony was unacceptable and inexcusable. …I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am confused, and my actions did not indicate who I want to be. There is no place for violence in the world of love and kindness.”
Amid controversy over the Oscar, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences before the organization banned him from participating in future events for 10 years.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said in a statement to Page Six earlier this month.
While Smith and the Red Table Talk co-host have remained silent about the meeting ever since, she took to the red carpet for the first time since the Oscars on April 10 to celebrate the grand opening of Debbie Allen’s new ballroom.
“@therealdebbieallen said, wrap it all in gold and let the kids fill your soul,” Pinkett Smith wrote on Instagram at the time. “Congratulations to Debbie on the opening of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy @officialdadance! You are a legacy on which many other legacies will stand. Thank you for EVERYTHING you do 🙏🏽 ♥️ 🙏🏽 “.
The Matrix Resurrections actress, who shares daughter Willow Smith and son Jayden Smith with her husband, later teased an upcoming episode of her talk show on Facebook Watch, which will tell about the incident and its aftermath.
“Given everything that has happened over the past few weeks, the Smith family has focused on deep healing. When the time comes, we will share some discoveries concerning our healing,” reads a statement about the 5th season of the show on Wednesday, April 20. “Until then… the table will continue to offer itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies, such as the testimony of our incredibly impressive first guest. Thank you for joining us, Jada.”
