While featuring animals in motion cinema is not a new concept, production houses often neglect the importance of treating them with kindness. From the tiger in Life of Pi to the cheetah in Tarzan, every year Hollywood releases at least one animal movie. The reason behind this could be the positive messages these films deliver and also how audiences of all ages connect with them. While fans enjoy the timeless charm of animal-centric movies, these sentient beings often undergo abusive treatment for entertainment. 

Will Smith, who has been in the news lately for the wrong reasons, found himself in the middle of controversy once again. Reportedly, during the filming of his documentary, a tragic incident took place when a lioness died on the set. 

Will Smith’s documentary led to animal cruelty

Even though filmmakers have become conscious of animal cruelty, it was not a big deal a couple of years ago. Even decades later, the condition of the wildlife hasn’t changed much, and what happened after Will Smith’s documentary filming in June is a testament to that. The 54-year-old actor was reportedly working with the Claws Conservancy when the crew tranquilized a lioness with a dart, causing her death, reported The Sun. Even though the Men in Black actor never spoke about the incident, the news caused an online rage. 

Sue Spurgin, who is an animal activist, shared the news on his Twitter page that sparked a wave of online outrage. He captioned his post saying “Once again #wildlife suffers for human greed & entertainment”, followed by hundreds of reposts, criticizing the Oscar-winning actor. At the time of publishing, no comment from Will Smith has been released and it is unclear if his documentary will have the “No Animals Have Been Harmed” tag.

Meanehile, this is not the first time the After Earth actor got his name alongside lions in the news. In a 2016 appearance on The Ellen Show, the actor revealed how he lives next door to lions.

Will Smith and his history with the lions

During the promotion of his new film Collateral Beauty, Smith talked about his wild neighbors who lived in his backyard. Ellen DeGeneres was obviously at a loss and was not bing it. She questioned the Bad Boys actor, saying, “Do you know what a lion looks like?” and went on to share a few pictures of lions. To which the I Am Legend star replied, “You see one of them jokers in Kenya!” and also compared one of the lions to Mufasa. 

When the talk show host inquired about what Smith did upon seeing the lion in his backyard, the actor said “You immediately put the kids on punishment”. Further poking fun at his neighbor, Denzel Washington, he said that he “should have at least been able to relocate it to Denzel’s house!” While it is uncertain whether the actor will put up an apology for the loss of animal life, he definitely is not scared of them. After the infamous Oscar controversy, fans have to wait and find out if Smith makes up for this casualty. 

What are your thoughts about the animal abuse occurrence in Will Smith’s documentary? Let us know in the comments below!