With a quirky personality that makes him so lovable, Will Smith is one of the most established actors in Hollywood. From humble beginnings to unleashing back-to-back blockbusters, he quickly became a role model for young people that aspire to dream big. Nonetheless, all his talent and charm could shield him from the backlash of a particular incident in 2022. On the eve of the Oscars when he assaulted Chris Rock, some people felt he was standing up for his wife. Others deemed him a bully who should have been canceled for the attack.

But one thing was for sure, the public opinion of the Emancipation actor had changed forever. Yet, the most bizarre thing of all is that just one year prior to his outburst, the 54-year-old was preaching the opposite of what his actions portrayed.

Will Smith speaks on his learnings from childhood traumas

While Smith is known to be a devoted family man, some fans may not know that he was exposed to violence as a child. In an interview with Jay Shetty, the host asked him how this aspect of his early life affects him today. To this, the father of three responded by saying that people when mistreated or hurt, “we want revenge”, but in doing so “we destroy ourselves.” Calling this dilemma a paradox, the Men in Black star says that acting on those urges destroys the good in us.

Fast forward a year, and his violent, hotheaded behavior became a prophetic message to himself. Regardless of the reports that he later took accountability for the same, his comments in this interview make his actions even more hypocritical.

But the man that Smith attacked in the first place, does not share the same philosophy as him. Instead of taking revenge physically, he chose to weaponize his strong suit, words.

Chris Rock chose to take revenge in a hilarious way

Meanwhile, Will Smith starrer historic thriller Emancipation came out in 2022. In it, his character faced a lot of torture, like being whipped and spat on by slave masters. Commenting on this in his recent Netflix comedy special, Chris Rock said that he wanted to see the movie, just to watch Will Smith receive such degradation.

While viewers were left speechless after slapgate, Chris Rock was commended for the composure he maintained through the humiliation. But he sure took his revenge in an unconventional way through this harmless joke that made headlines.

Do you think Will Smith reflected on his worlds in the Jay Shetty podcast after Slapgate occurred? Share your thoughts in the comments.