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 clip shows a skater who's playing the role of the Genie on Disney on Ice falling off the stage and then quickly picking himself up to complete the routine. The takeaway here is how quickly Will Smith's life spiraled after his controversial slap. Four days after the awards ceremony, Will resigned from his membership in the Academy, and a week later, the Academy committee banned him from all Oscar events for a period of 10 years. Will Smith had finally hit rock bottom.

Nevertheless, Will quickly pulled himself together, as all great men do, and went on to star in Antoine Fuqua's 2022 historical drama Emancipation, despite the uncertainties surrounding his future in the industry. Smith won plaudits for his performance from critics despite the film's mixed reception.

It's safe to say that Smith can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Fresh Prince is set to reprise his role as Detective Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys 4, and according to an inside source, his role as the Genie in the Aladdin sequel is all but assured. As Robert Schuller put it, 'Tough times never last but tough people do.'