As echoes of Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock reverberate through the entertainment industry, projects in which the actor was involved are being set aside until the echoes fade.
A report in The Hollywood Reporter that relies upon sources it does not name indicated that three projects in which Smith was to star are now uncertain.
Netflix had been working on a movie called “Fast and Loose” starring Smith, and in fact had been urgently seeking a director for the project in the days leading up to the Oscars, where Smith won the award for best actor.
But, according to the report, Netflix embarked upon a post-slap change of course and is no longer moving forward with the project, for now.
Netflix stalls #WillSmith‘s film Fast and Loose after Oscars slaphttps://t.co/z1f8rxmI9X
— India Today Showbiz (@Showbiz_IT) April 3, 2022
The report said that Apple+ planned a slave escape film called “Emancipation” to hit TVs in 2022 but is no longer commenting upon its plans.
Part of a script for a project called “Bad Boys 4” by SONY had been shared with Smith, but it is no longer in the works, the report said.
Actor Denzel Washington, who spoke with Smith during the Oscars ceremony after the incident, offered his take on the slapping incident.
“No way I could have sat in my seat,” he said during a Saturday event, according to People. “That’s just not who I am.”
“There’s a saying when the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong,” Washington said.
“The devil goes, ‘Oh no leave him alone, he’s my favorite.’ Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because he’s trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got ahold of him that night.”
Smith said that before he made his speech after winning the award for best actor, Washington had told him: “At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”
Washington said Saturday that “some prayers” were shared between the actors.
Denzel Washington says he and Tyler Perry said “some prayers” with Will Smith after the #Oscars incident: “Who are we to condemn? I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation, but I know the only solution was prayer, the way I see it.”
(https://t.co/7Uh5xVRMcj) pic.twitter.com/wevv4mSLia
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 2, 2022
“I don’t wanna say what we talked about, but there but for the grace of God go any of us,” Washington said.
“Who are we to condemn? I don’t know all the ins and outs of this situation, but I know the only solution was prayer, the way I saw it, the way I see it,” he said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.