For many actors, winning an acting Oscar is a sure door-opener in Hollywood, but despite picking up Best Actor at this year’s ceremony Will Smith fears that he is “in the process of being fully canceled” in the wake of his slapping of Chris Rock. While it has been suggested that The Academy are planning to decide what action they will be taking against Smith for his actions on Friday, the actor has seen a number of upcoming projects allegedly being put on hold or canceled and that is clearly starting to play on his mind.
While he awaits the judgement of The Academy, sources close to Smith and his family have told Us Weekly that the growing list of films being pulled out from under him is starting to make the actor question exactly where it will all end. In the last week Smith has seen development on Sony’s Bad Boys 4 paused indefinitely and Netflix turn their back on a crime drama he was expected to star in. Netflix also joined Apple+ in allegedly removing bids for a biopic about Smith, and Warner Bros. continue to hold off committing to a possible Suicide Squad spinoff about his character Deadshot.
The source said, “He feels terrible and is trying not to panic, but seeing his roles put on ice has been a hugely bitter pill to swallow. His biggest fear is that he's in the process of being fully canceled, and there's nothing he can really do about it except sit back, suck up his punishment like a man and try to atone however he can."
The Will Smith Controversy Is Seemingly A Long Way From Being Over
Although The Academy are yet to announce what action they will take against Smith for his outburst at the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony last month, Smith took matters into his own hands by owning his actions and resigning as an Academy member. However, that doesn’t seem to have done much for his reputation in Hollywood right now.
In addition to the troubles he finds himself in due to that slap, the actor has also been seemingly given another blow at news that the man who Smith’s wife Jada had an “entanglement” with has just signed a book deal to tell all about his relationship with the actress. The news couldn’t have come at a worse time for Smith, and it is clear from the sources quoted in Us Weekly, that it is all taking its toll on the star who should be currently celebrating his Oscar win and a number of in-production movies.
With The Academy apparently fast-tracking their meeting to decide what actions they will be taking against Smith, by the end of this week it should be clearer for Smith just what kind of mountain he needs to climb to keep his career in Hollywood from coming undone. While Smith is next set to appear in Apple+ movie Emancipation, in which he plays a runaway slave, that movie doesn’t currently have a release data and it is unknown whether the ongoing situation will have any bearing on just when the movie is put out by the streamer.