Actor Will Smith is undoubtedly one of the best actors of all time. The actor started out as a rapper then transitioned to acting and saw a sharp rise in popularity after he starred in Bad Boys (1995).

Today, the actor has managed to establish himself as one of the best, however, he is now also surrounded by controversies. In March 2022, while attending the 94th Academy Awards, the actor went up to the stage and slapped host Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. The actor received a lot of criticism and it damaged his image. Now the question arises, was the actor always this violent?

Will Smith once knocked out Barry Sonnenfeld

Barry Sonnenfeld and Will Smith on the sets of Men in Black 3
Undoubtedly, the Men in Black series made actor Will Smith a household name. The actor played the role of Agent J and became a fan favorite. Smith’s relationship with the director of the movie, Barry Sonnenfeld, was quite healthy, however, the actor once knocked Sonnenfeld out while showcasing his boxing moves. In 2012, the duo sat down for an interview with Total Film and recalled the incident. Smith said,
“We had inflatable boxing gloves so we’re playing with the inflatable boxing gloves and I’d just done Ali. The gloves are huge. So we’re doing this and we’re playing and we’re playing and we’re playing, and I punched him and the glove popped and…” Sonnenfeld then finished the sentence,  “(He) knocked me unconscious.”
Will Smith went through intense training while preparing for Ali (2001). Since the actor portrayed the legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, Smith had to work hard like him.

Will Smith often practiced his moves on Barry Sonnenfeld

Barry Sonnenfeld and Will Smith

It may sound odd that Will Smith has injured Barry Sonnenfeld on multiple occasions. Sonnenfeld once recalled in an interview with NPR that Smith’s punch sent him to the hospital. He said,
“When the doctor rolled up my sleeve to take my blood pressure, he saw that my shoulder was covered in red, orange, purple, green, and yellow welts from Will hitting me. And he said ‘What’s that?’ And I said I have no idea. So basically, I was a battered wife.”
Obviously, the punches were friendly as the two are really good friends. However, sending one to the hospital with a punch is quite concerning.

Will Smith gained popularity in the 1990s

Will Smith
Smith initially started out as a rapper alongside Jeffrey “DJ Jazzy Jeff” Townes. Smith came up with a stage name, Fresh Prince. The duo rose to fame in the 1990s and received the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for their song Parents Just Don’t Understand. Smith then slowly transitioned to the film industry and instantly gained popularity.

2022 was quite rough for the actor as he invited a lot of trouble for him after he slapped Chris Rock on stage. Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith while hosting the 94th Academy Awards. The actor then went up to the stage and slapped Rock.