He Must Have Forgotten The Oscar Slap: Will Smith Dragged for Past Comment on Rejecting Violent Roles

Will Smith's justification for rejecting a movie role is resurfacing, as social media users revive memories of his notorious Oscar incident. In 2016, during The Hollywood Reporter’s Actor Oscar Roundtable, Smith shared why he declined the chance to play Django in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film "Django Unchained," which ultimately featured Jamie Foxx in the lead role. Smith emphasized his struggle with the film's violent themes, stating, “I don’t believe in violence as the reaction to violence.” He asserted that the narrative should be a love story rather than one driven by revenge. Critics on X have called Smith a hypocrite, drawing parallels between his stance on violence in art and his behavior at the 2022 Oscars when he slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Many have pointed out the numerous violent roles in Smith's past, raising questions about consistency in his messages. (Photo By TechCrunch: Wikimedia Commons)