Will Smith is aware not all are ready to embrace him after his Oscars controversy.
The actor recently shared how he feels about wary fans skipping out on his projects after he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards due to a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. Smith, who has repeatedly apologized for the incident, acknowledged viewers might not be swayed to watch his future projects, including the movie Emancipation.
"I completely understand—if someone is not ready," Smith told journalist Kevin McCarthy, per Variety. "I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready."
Regardless of what people think of him, the Oscar winner hopes his actions won't badly reflect on Emancipation, a drama about slavery directed by Antoine Fuqua.
"My deepest concern is my team—Antoine has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career," Smith added. "The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don't penalize my team. At this point, that's what I'm working for."
As Smith continues to focus on Emancipation's upcoming release, the 54-year-old shared his wishes for what the audience will takeaway away from the movie, which follows Smith's character Peter—a runaway slave seeking to escape a plantation.
"I'm hoping that the material—the power of the film, the timeliness of the story," Smith said, "I'm hoping that the good that can be done would open people's hearts at a minimum to see and recognize and support the incredible artists in and around this film."
Emancipation hits theaters on Dec. 2 and will stream a week later on Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.