Will Smith makes surprise reappearance after slapping Chris Rock
The recent Oscar-winning actor has been photographed in Mumbai almost a month after the Academy Awards ceremony incident.
Will Smith is back in the news with an unexpected reappearance in India. The actor, almost a month after the ugly episode at the Oscar ceremony -- what do you mean you don’t know what happened!? -- has been seen, in what we believe to be the first time, in Mumbai, one of the major cities in the Asian country.
Indian adventure for Will Smith
Since the slap-attack on Chris Rock, the 53-year old has been going through a real ordeal. Despite apologising and owning up to his mistake on several occasions, the storm against him has not yet died out. Subjected to public scorn, the actor resigned as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but that did not prevent him being punished with a ban from attending any event or programme, in person or virtually, for the next 10 years.
But as if that were not enough, Will Smith is now being ostracised in Hollywood, with at least five projects in which he was involved have been cancelled or postponed.
Against this backdrop, amid rumours that he was in a rehab clinic to deal with the renewed stress, and with some uncertainty about the situation of his marriage, Smith has kept a pretty low profile. A retreat from the media spotlight that, under normal circumstances, after claiming the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard, would have been unthinkable.
Spiritual journey?
It therefore feels somewhat appropriate that the actor has decided to resurface in India and, although the exact reason for his visit is not known, there is a belief that it is a step forward in the search for normality. Sources consulted by the Hindustan Times claim that the actor is said to have met Sadhguru, a spiritual leader whom Smith has been following for some time.
Whether or not it was a spiritual visit, Will Smith has finally left his refuge in the United States, while Chris Rock has not stopped performing, the very public incident only increasing his stock and boosting his comedy tour. Two sides of the same coin.