Will Smith Ponders the Lasting Impact of Oscars Slap

Actor Will Smith has said that he “completely understands” if viewers boycott his upcoming film, “Emancipation”, but hopes his prior actions won’t impact the team who have worked on it.

“Emancipation” – which is slated for release this Friday, 2 December – will be Smith’s first cinematic release since his infamous moment at the Oscars, when he slapped comedian Chris Rock eight months ago, in March.

The film was originally scheduled for release in May but was reportedly delayed, partially due to concerns about backlash over the incident.

In an effort to promote the Antoine Fuqua film, Smith has been partaking in a series of interviews with various international publications and television stations.

During one interview, the “I Am Legend” star said: “I completely understand that, if someone is not ready. I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready.”

Before going on to add: “My deepest concern is my team. Antoine has done what I think is the greatest work in his entire career … the people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don’t penalize my team.”

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