It’s safe to say 2022 has not been a good year for Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith thus far. Despite finally winning a Best Actor Academy Award after two near-misses, Will’s career is now in serious jeopardy. He used to be one of the most popular and personable actors in Hollywood and a firm fan-favorite. However, after the whole Chris Rock “thing,” the bad news keeps flooding in regarding his popularity.
According to a new Yahoo! News/YouGov poll, Will’s popularity continues to nosedive. The survey — which polled 1,618 adults between March 31 and April 4 — revealed 47% of respondents admitted to viewing the actor “unfavorably” following The Slap. The day after the Oscars altercation, a similar poll resulted in 37% — a pretty significant uptick in the unpopularity stakes. Adding to Will’s woes, 28% of those questioned also thought he should be stripped of his Oscar.
The now-infamous incident has led many to question if Will’s career will ever be able to rebound. The BBC spoke with the editor-in-chief of entertainment site The Wrap, Sharon Waxman. She claimed her staff talked to multiple industry insiders, all of whom were doubtful Will could claw his way back. “One agent we talked to called it a ‘stunning act of narcissism.’ The movie star brand for Will Smith is badly tarnished,” Waxman said. She concluded that his A-lister days were “kind of done.”
