Entertainment

Will Smith’s fan support continues to decline after Oscars slap: poll

By
Social Links for Hannah Sparks
Published April 8, 2022
Updated April 8, 2022, 3:28 p.m. ET

What a slap in the face.

A new fan poll found that support for Will Smith has further declined in the days since the star slapped Oscars presenter Chris Rock in the face during the live broadcast on ABC last month.

As of Friday, nearly half of respondents — 47% — gave the Best Actor winner an “unfavorable” rating, according to the Yahoo News/YouGov poll taken between March 27 and April 4.

Will Smith in tears at the Oscars
Will Smith was in tears as he accepted the Best Actor win — just minutes after he shocked audiences by slapping Oscars presenter Chris Rock in the face. Getty Images

That’s worse than the response immediately following the event, on March 28, when just 37% made the same assessment, Yahoo reported.

The torrent of statements made by celebrities and industry entities alike have debatably (looking at you, Janet Hubert) skewed toward disapproval for the 53-year-old actor’s shocking behavior, including those levied by actors Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais and even OJ Simpson. Others used the opportunity to advocate for women with alopecia, such as comedian Jeffrey Ross, who also suffers from the hair loss disorder.

Will Smith at the Oscars
The fate of Will Smith’s first Oscar win hangs in the balance as the Academy decides whether they should rescind his Best Actor trophy after assaulting Chris Rock during the awards telecast. Getty Images

Just 16% in the poll of more than 1,600 US adults believed that Smith behaved appropriately.

Today, fans and friends of Will and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, 50, await a call from the Academy that will decide whether the “King Richard” actor will be able to hold on to his Best Actor crown. A source has said that discussions “would go to the wire.”

Most fans are undecided, too. The Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that only 28% want to see his award yanked, while 22% remain unsure. The rest say the “Fresh Prince” star is no worse than a lot of others who have taken home the Oscars statuette.

Smith has already resigned from the Academy, meaning he no longer has a vote at who wins the Oscars.

“I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” he shared in a statement on April 1. “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”

Meanwhile, 55% of respondents are rooting for Rock, 57 — especially fellow comedians, who say that tough jokes come with the territory.

“It’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian,” said Kathy Griffin on Twitter the night of the event. “Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”