Summary
- Will Smith’s charitable foundation saw a sharp decline in revenue after the Oscars slap incident.
- High-profile donors like American Airlines and CAA stopped supporting the foundation.
- Despite the blow to his reputation, Smith is making a comeback with new projects like
Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
The Will Smith Oscar slap may have happened two years ago, but it’s not only Chris Rock who felt the effects of Smith’s unfortunate actions. In fact, a charity that the actor set up with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith also had to suffer the consequences. Per Variety, the Will Jada Smith Family Foundation saw a sharp decline in support which saw its revenue plummet from $1,760,000 in 2020 and $2,138,660 in 2021 to a mere $365,870 in 2022, according to info obtained from tax documents.
This is clearly due to the foundation losing income from high-profile donors who likely didn’t want to be associated with the couple following the Oscar slap incident which saw Will stepping on stage and striking Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke at his wife’s expense.
That’s a steep decline of 83 percent from revenue generated in 2021 and the decrease was a direct result of losing contributors such as American Airlines, which donated $76,160 in 2021, and CAA, which contributed an impressive $100,000 the very same year. Perhaps to soften the blow, reports suggest that Smith and his family were planning on slowing down on the foundation even before the incident at the Academy Awards and were planning on donating the same amount to other charitable causes but wanted to do it privately.
According to the foundation’s website, The Will and Jada Family Foundation “has invested millions of dollars and invaluable resources to accelerate the growth of initiatives that focus on deepening individual and collective empowerment.”
Will Smith’s Reputation Took a Hit Following the Oscars Slap
Smith’s reputation following the Oscars slap took a significant blow. Despite winning Best Actor that night for his performance in King Richard, the actor was booted from the Academy days later and was banned from attending the ceremony for ten years. From there, it was all about lying low and taking the time to reflect on his actions in an attempt to rebuild his brand. During that time, his film Emancipation was released, and he did emerge from a bit of a hiatus to promote it. The movie received mixed reviews, but it did show that the actor could make a comeback as more time began to subside following the slap.
Will Smith Sets His Next Role as Iraq War Veteran in Action Movie Sugar Bandits
The project, which was originally set up at Universal, is one of the market’s biggest budgeted projects at an estimated $80 million.
Smith decided one of the best ways to get back into the good graces of the public was to step back into familiar roles. One of those roles is as Marcus Burnett in the Bad Boys franchise and that meant re-teaming with Martin Lawrence for a new sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The recently released first trailer has been well-received so far by fans, which goes to show that Smith hasn’t completely lost it with his fanbase. The actor is also still financially in high demand according to reports, receiving a staggering $25 million for his role in the Bad Boys sequel and Netflix’s upcoming Fast and Loose.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
hits screens on June 7.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
- Release Date
- June 7, 2024
- Writers
- Chris Bremner
- Studio(s)
- Columbia Pictures , 2.0 Entertainment , Don Simpson Films , Jerry Bruckheimer Films , Westbrook Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Sony Pictures Releasing
