nme.com
05.06.2024 / 22:39
Will Smith’s ‘Bad Boys 4’ slap is reportedly a nod to Oscars scandal
Will Smith’s character in Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is slapped repeatedly in a climactic scene, in what is being described as a nod to his infamous Oscars moment.At the ceremony in March 2022, Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Following the incident, Smith apologised to Rock, resigned from the Academy, and was banned from attending Academy events for 10 years.Smith later released another apology on YouTube in July 2022 where he described his behaviour as “unacceptable”, adding: “I just didn’t realise, I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment.”And now, in his new film, his character is seen being repeatedly slapped in the face in what many reviews have cited as an obvious reference to the controversy.Variety note that it could be an effort to “make cruel fun” of Smith’s “transgression”, while Daily Beast describe it as “a tasteless nod” to the real-life slap in order to “rehab Smith’s image”.Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is the fourth instalment in the buddy cop film series, starring Smith as Mike Lowrey alongside Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett.