By Ivie Drogin ‘25, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer (April 2022)

For many celebrities and viewers, the biggest upset of the Oscars this year had nothing to do with the awards.  

While Chris Rock was performing a short comedy sketch before announcing the winner of “Best Documentary Feature,” he made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock commented on the actress’s shaved head and joked about her starring in “G.I. Jane 2.” Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle is a reflection of her diagnosis with alopecia.  

While this comment initially made Will Smith chuckle, his wife had a different initial reaction, indicated by her annoyed eye roll. Following the glare from his wife, Smith walked on stage, slapped Chris Rock and returned to his seat. At this time, on the American broadcast of the Oscars, the program’s sound cut out leaving viewers to read Smith’s lips yell the words, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth.”

While in the past few weeks many jokes have been made about the slap, it is no joke how this impulsive decision will affect Will Smith’s career.  Though Smith publicly apologized to Rock on Instagram, saying his reaction was “out of line” and “wrong,” he will still suffer severe consequences. Smith tarnished the prestigious reputation of the Academy and overshadowed the Oscar winners. In response, the Academy issued Smith a ten year ban from the Oscars; he joined only a handful of other celebrities to be prohibited from attending the event.

In addition to his future with the Academy, Smith’s acting career is now in jeopardy. An anonymous source revealed that Smith “is trying not to panic” while watching his “[acting] roles put on ice.” Even though he just received high praise for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard, directors cannot ignore Smith’s recent controversy. The source also revealed that Smith’s biggest fear was being “fully canceled,” which would lead to the end of his acting career.  

Although the future of Will Smith’s career is currently up in the air, one thing is certain: cancel culture shows no mercy. For better or worse, celebrities are put on a pedestal and they are scrutinized for every action they take. On a stage as popular as the Oscars, Smith’s outward hostility and disrespect toward an award announcer cannot be ignored. Even with apologies, there is nothing Smith can control as he confronts  “cancellation.” With future roles dropping like flies and a ban from the Oscars, it is unclear when Smith will be able to recover his reputation. For the time being, it looks like the only Will Smith shown on the big screen will be in reruns.