Will Smith risked being dropped by talent agency after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars

Every action has a consequence, and the same is true for superstar Will Smith.

While many people are ready to move on past the infamous Oscars slap, there are still many things up for debate for The Fresh Prince star.

Following the events at the Oscars, Will Smith released an apology statement and left The Academy by choice rather than allowing them to expel him. Despite the actions he has taken to try to make the situation right, there are still many factors impacting the esteemed actor.

Over a week later, it was revealed that Will’s talent agency considered dropping him after he slapped Chris Rock.

Will Smith was almost dropped by his talent agency for slapping Chris Rock

Will’s talent agency is the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the most powerful talent agencies. When Will smacked Chris, the agency had a huge problem on its hands. 

The Daily Beast reports that CAA partners Bryan Lourd, Richard Lovett, and Kevin Huvane had to decide on whether or not they would continue to represent Will. 

Lourd reportedly wanted to stop representing Will almost immediately, but Lovett didn’t want to lose Will, who he personally represents. 

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the agency following the event, such as claims that the agency was previously linked to Harvey Weinstein. 

After much debate over their history and what to do next, the agency decided to keep representing Will despite the events at the Oscars.

Will Smith is likely not going to be the star of any film or show in the near future following the backlash from the Oscars, but his agency appears hopeful that he will be back in the spotlight one day.

Netflix and Sony Pictures put Will Smith’s projects on hold

Not only did Will risk being dropped by his talent agency, but his upcoming Netflix projects were put on hold. 

As previously reported, Netflix put their original movie Fast and Loose on hold. They were seeking a new director, but the Oscars slap caused producers to shelf the film. 

Will was also supposed to start in Sony Pictures’ Bad Boys 4, but sources claim the movie has been put on hold despite the film being in “active development” before the Oscars. 

However, at this time, Will Smith is still set to star in Apple+’s movie, Emancipation. The film is reportedly in post-production but has no set release date.

Emancipation will be released on Apple+ in 2022.