Actor Will Smith addressed his infamous Oscars slap to comedian Chris Rock in his newly released album, Based on a True Story, which released on Friday.
The actor made headlines during the 2022 Academy Awards when he slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. As Rock returned to his seat, Smith shouted, "Keep my wife's name out of your mouth!" He later returned to the stage to accept the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in King Richard.
In the track Int. Barbershop - Day from the album, Will refers to the controversy with lyrics like, "Him and Jada both crazy girl, what you talkin' bout? / You better keep his wife's name out of your mouth."
The song also contains other lines that seem to address the Oscar incident indirectly, including, "I heard he won the Oscar but he had to give it back / And you know they only made him do that because he's Black."
However, Will Smith was never required to return his Oscar. Instead, the Academy imposed a 10-year ban on him attending any of its events. The actor also resigned from his membership at the Academy and issued a public apology, expressing deep regret for his actions.
Based on a True Story marks Smith's first solo music album in two decades, following his 2005 release Lost and Found. The album also arrives after the actor made a limited promotional push for his historical drama Emancipation, which was released by Apple.
In addition, Smith recently starred alongside Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth installment in the popular Bad Boys franchise. The film was a major box office success, grossing over $400 million worldwide.
