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Will Smith Makes First Public Appearance After Slapgate, All The Way In India

He was spotted at a private airport in the city of Mumbai seemingly in good spirits.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Will Smith attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Will Smith's life changed overnight following his split-second decision to walk onto the Oscar stage and slap Chris Rock. He then won his first Oscar but the preceding altercation overshadowed not only this but many other landmark achievements that night. Since then multiple film projects Smith was involved in have been stalled and he has been banned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences events for 10 years.

Source: Getty Images/Neilson Barnard / Staff

After the debacle, Smith kept a low profile. He finally made an appearance in public, seemingly in good spirits, far from home. He was spotted at a private airport in India over the weekend, as reported by PEOPLE. On his arrival in the city of Mumbai, he was greeted by paparazzi and he even got his picture taken with the security.



 

He looked relaxed in his white t-shirt, gray shorts, white tights, and a pair of Nikes. It is unclear what the purpose of his visit is yet. The Hindustan Times reported that the actor was staying at the JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu and left the city on Saturday.



 

Smith has been in the news since the awards night that took place on March 27. He confronted Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss saying, "Jada I love you...G.I Jane 2 can't wait to see it." After hitting Rock who was presenting an award, he furiously added, "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth." 

Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Smith utilized his post-award speech time to apologize for losing his cool and later published an Instagram post apologizing to Rock. "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," he said and added, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness." He also provided a brief response to the decision made by the Board about his ban by stating: "I accept and respect the Academy’s decision." 



 

This is not Smith's first visit to India. He visited in 2019 previously and had shared a post on Instagram stating, "My Grandmother used to say, 'God Teaches through Experience.' Traveling to India & Experiencing the colors, people and natural beauty has awakened a new understanding of myself, my Art & the Truths of the world." He has even made a cameo in the Bollywood film Student of The Year 2.