The next Will Smith awards show news is about a song, not a slap.
Well, the song may slap … we don’t know yet.
Will Smith won’t be attending the Oscars any time soon, but other venues are much more respective.
Most people these days just know Will Smith for making movies and attractive, talented children. But he is also a musician of historic importance — his rap was the first to win a Grammy.
And, at the 2024 BET Awards, he’s going to perform a new, original song.
The 2024 BET Awards will be Will Smith’s first major solo performance since, you know
On Sunday, June 30, Will Smith will unveil and perform his new, original song at the BET Awards.
That would be exciting news on its own. After all, his music is legendary and helped to catapult him into his spectacular acting career.
We don’t actually know what Smith will be performing. His most recent performance was a cameo with J Balvin at Coachella back in April. And that was a Men In Black reference.
Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programing, & Music Strategy at BET spoke to Variety about inviting Will Smith to perform.
“From his start as a rapper to ‘The Fresh Prince’ to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage,” Orlando affirmed.
Orlando then expressed: “We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed.”
Obviously, Will Smith appearing at an award show is a touchy topic
At the 2022 Oscars, the A-list actor marched up onto the stage and smacked Chris Rock.
This was not a scripted action. And it was also not spontaneous or out-of-the-blue. Chris Rock had, and not for the first time, seemed to show an apparent unhealthy obsession with Jada Pinkett Smith. This time, poking fun at her hair loss.
The reactions were divided. And despite the polarization, many people’s responses seemed (perhaps due to the nature of social media) so extreme that they were unreasonable.
One camp was likening the infamous slap to evils like domestic violence, or suggesting that this was akin to random violence against comedians.
The other suggested that Smith had done nothing wrong, that the incident was so mild that it was not worth commentary.
Obviously, Smith and Rock are not family or in a relationship. They are also not strangers. These were two extremely famous millionaire adults who have known each other for decades. But, let’s be clear: hitting someone in the face is assault. Even with possible verbal provocation.
Is this a career comeback?
Well … no. This is not a comeback because his career is doing just fine.
The same month as the BET Awards, Bad Boys: Ride or Die released in theaters and raked in 9 figures at the box office. Yes, that’s the film where Will Smith gets slapped on screen.
He’s not allowed at the Oscars for years to come. But that won’t stop Smith from making extremely successful films — or music. Or from attending other awards shows. Shows where, one might hope, people will keep his wife’s name out of their mouths.