Will Smith Reveals How Floyd Mayweather Helped Him After Oscars Slap

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Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Focus" - Arrivals
Actor Will Smith attends the Warner Bros. Pictures' "Focus" premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Floyd Mayweather provided Will Smith with some motivation to keep going.

Will Smith found himself at the center of the biggest controversy of his career earlier this year as he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. Everyone remembers the slap vividly, and it was one of the most shocking moments in entertainment history.

Since that time, many have expressed their discomfort with Smith, claiming that he was completely out of line. Some of the reactions have been downright overdramatic, although it is clear that Smith's reputation has taken a huge hit. Regardless, he is still making movies, including Emancipation which is set to release next year.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Smith recently got to screen the movie at The London Hotel. Interestingly enough, Floyd Mayweather was in attendance, according to TMZ. Smith even addressed Floyd and revealed that the boxer helped him after the slapping incident.

"I want to say something also about Floyd," Smith began. "So, we've met each other, we've seen each other around, but we weren't like, friends. And, the day after the Oscars, for 10 days he called me every day. And, he was like, 'Ay, you know you the champ, right? You good? You know you the champ, right? I want you to hear my voice say it,' That was every day he called me ... and it's like, that's my dude forever right there."

Mayweather is someone who has been through a lot in his career, so it makes sense that he would have the wisdom to make Smith feel better about his situation. Either way, they are still an unlikely pairing, which makes this pretty interesting.

Despite that, it's good that Smith was able to get support from someone. It felt like the entire world was piling on Smith following the Oscars, which can put you in a dark place. That said, it's good to see him doing much better.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI

Hopefully, Mayweather's advice stuck with him. Smith has a lot of career left, and we're sure he has some great projects in store.

[Via]

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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