Will Smith’s career took quite a hit after his infamous Oscars meltdown. So much so that it seemed his 2022 Academy honor was destined to be a one-hit wonder for the next decade. Although he has managed to bounce back in the industry, with his Bad Boys franchise crossing the billion-dollar mark after the fourth installment, not everything was smooth sailing for the actor even before his boycott saga kicked off. 

Some insider details about an award-winning Smith movie have recently revealed how much the actor was exploited by industry giants.

The film in question is Emancipation, which had shifted its filming from Georgia to Louisiana due to the Election Integrity Act of 2021. At that time, Louisiana proposed a bill that would have let developers use alternative payment methods for their apps on the App Store. To protect itself from potential losses because of this Louisiana bill, Apple threatened to pull the plug on Emancipation's filming in the state to block the bill’s passage, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

Emancipation, for which Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor, was the first film the actor took on after the Oscar incident. And it would be a lie to say that the ripples of the controversy were not felt at the box office, given the film's very modest grossing. Nonetheless, little did anyone know that Smith was planning to make a massive comeback, not just in cinemas but also in his musical roots.

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Following Bad Boys: Ride or Die's success, Smith is returning as the Fresh Prince after years. Recently, his upcoming album got a major update.

In July, Will Smith dropped his debut single, 'Work of Art,' from his upcoming, and untitled, album. The release came with a music video featuring his rapper son, Jaden Smith, and singer Russ. Later on, Smith took Russ for a car test drive- a session that happened before he did the same with David Bisbal. During their drive, Smith shared some insights about his new album and hinted at its supposed title. The actor revealed that he had been working tirelessly in the studio for a year and a half for his album. 

While discussing its theme, Smirth said, "The idea of the music is- Dance in your darkest moments". This is rumored to be the album’s title as well, especially since an Instagram page and a website called "Dance in Your Darkest Moments" are reportedly in the works. All things considered, it is clear that Smith is not the one to back down and plans on pushing his career forward, with or without the backlash.

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What do you think about Apple's alleged exploitation of Will Smith? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!