In about a month's time, all eyes will be on the 2023 Oscars. Although the prestigious Hollywood event has been in decline for the last few years, the 2022 edition became an international cause celebre after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage.
The incident quickly went viral, with memes surrounding the altercation making rounds on the internet for months. Though Will Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor that night, the fallout from his actions stirred a divisive public debate on social media. Shortly afterward, the 54-year-old actor dropped off the grid for a few months.
Since then, Will Smith has made a return to social media and begun the long road toward redemption. The Aladdin actor recently posted a blooper clip on Instagram from The Genie via Disney on Ice with the caption: This is me in 2022 The infamous 2022 Oscar slap.