Will Smith is reportedly seeking out help through therapy in the wake of his infamous slap at the Academy Awards.
In a new report from Entertainment Tonight, a source revealed that the 53-year-old Best Actor Oscar Winner is now going to therapy, months after attacking Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars ceremony.
Smith, 53, ‘has been going to therapy after the Oscars incident,’ a source told Entertainment Tonight Thursday of the actor, who made international headlines for his outburst toward the 57-year-old comedian at the March 27 event at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The Oscars exchange between Smith and Rock took place after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying, ‘Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,’ in reference to the 1997 movie which featured Demi Moore with a shaved head. Pinkett Smith, 50, is currently battling alopecia, which causes hair loss.
The Philadelphia-born actor then walked onstage and smacked Rock, before returning to his seat and shouting at him twice, ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!’ to a stunned audience.
Later in the evening – in his acceptance speech after winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role as tennis patriarch Richard Williams in King Richard, Smith apologized to the Academy and other nominees but made no reference to Rock.
Will later resigned from the Academy before the organization announced that he would be banned from attending any Oscars-related event for the next 10 years.