Will Smith is stepping back into the spotlight after three years of relative silence following the jarring controversy at the 2022 Academy Awards. The 56-year-old star recently drew attention with the release of his new album, where he openly addresses the incident involving Chris Rock.

In 2022, Will Smith shocked the world when he walked onto the Oscar stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The moment instantly exploded across media and social platforms, resulting in massive backlash for the Bad Boys star, who was subsequently banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years.

During his time away from the public eye, Smith kept a low profile, focusing his efforts on a new music venture. He recently dropped his fifth studio album, “Based on a True Story,” on March 28. Among the 14 tracks, the opening song, “Int. Barbershop – Day,” garnered the most attention for its detailed references to the infamous 2022 Oscar slap.

The 57-year-old actor described the album as his most personal and impactful work, emphasizing its central message of finding resilience during difficult times. However, the release has been met with mixed to negative reviews from both critics and audiences, with comments citing a lack of creativity, energy, and depth.

In a recent appearance on Sirius XM’s morning program, Smith reflected on his experiences over the past three years. The Men in Black star revealed, “I’ve spent more time alone in the last three years than I have in my entire life. I’ve been in contact with parts of me that I don’t want people to see… things like fear, anger, sadness, confusion.”

A month after the slap, the star traveled to India to focus on yoga and meditation. The four-time Grammy winner told the Associated Press that the intervening years allowed him to truly “dig into the internal parts of me and ask deep internal questions.” He views the new album as the initial result of this self-reflection process. “Every song is about a part of me that I’ve either figured out or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. It’s the most complete piece of music I’ve ever made,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Omarr Rambert, the album’s executive producer, shared that the Oscar slap was the first time the internet had treated Smith like a villain. “Now, he just wants to be vulnerable and honest and show other facets of himself,” Rambert stated. Last summer, Smith returned to the big screen with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which grossed over $400 million globally. Rambert noted that the film’s success helped the star become more positive and confident in expressing his full self.

Smith is also planning a summer tour with dates scheduled in Morocco, the UK, and several European stops. Furthermore, there are rumors that the veteran star is in negotiations with Netflix for a subsequent comedy project, though a representative declined to comment on the matter.

Regarding his personal life, Will Smith maintains his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith despite navigating numerous ups and downs. In 2023, the Girls Trip actress revealed that the couple had decided to live separate lives some years prior and had been quietly separated. Rambert confirmed that the pair remains very close. “They go on vacations together. They have date nights together. They have family dinners, just like a traditional family. The difference is that everyone in the family has their own career, which makes things difficult,” he shared. Rambert added that the adversity Smith faced ultimately helped their family grow closer.

Jada Pinkett Smith allegedly hurled death threats at husband’s ex-associate, faces $3M lawsuit

Bilaal Salaam files $3M lawsuit claiming Will Smith’s wife threatened him at movie theater over NDA demands

Jada Pinkett Smith allegedly threatened the life of a former colleague of husband Will Smith during a confrontation at a movie theater in Calabasas, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Bilaal Salaam, a “best friend” to Will for “nearly 40 years,” who also worked “closely with him on numerous professional projects, including set work, personal business, and brand development,” filed a $3 million lawsuit against Jada on the grounds of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Salaam claimed Jada approached him with physical threats of violence and demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement while at a private gathering at a movie theater in Calabasas for her husband’s birthday in September 2021.

Jada Pinkett Smith was sued for $3 million by a former associate of her husband, Will Smith. (Gilbert Flores)

“While in the lobby, Defendant Jada Pinkett Smith approached Plaintiff with approximately seven members of her entourage, became verbally aggressive, and threatened Plaintiff by stating that if he continued ‘telling her personal business,’ he would ‘end up missing or catch a bullet,’ and demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) ‘or else,'” docs stated.

“After the confrontation, one of Defendant’s associates followed Plaintiff to his car while continuing to issue verbal threats.”

Salaam claimed that six months later, actor Duane Martin called, stating that the couple “urgently needed” his help with crisis management following the March 2022 Academy Awards slap scandal.

Jada Pinkett Smith allegedly threatened an ex-employee of her husband, according to a new lawsuit. (AP)

In the lawsuit, Salaam claimed he told Martin that he “refused to perform tasks he believed were illegal, unethical, or morally compromising, stating his conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign.”

Martin has been in the couple’s orbit for several years. He was most recently seen with Jada in April 2021.

Chris Rock was famously hit across the face by the “Independence Day” actor before presenting an award during the live telecast of the 94th Academy Awards after he told a joke about Jada.

Will Smith took issue with Chris Rock’s joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, leading him to slap the comedian across the face at the Academy Awards in 2022. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

Smith stormed the stage after Rock joked about Jada’s bald head in a reference to “G.I. Jane.” She had previously discussed her struggles with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss.

“Duane Martin warned Plaintiff that he would face ‘serious problems’ with Defendant Jada Pinkett Smith for refusing to help,” documents stated.

Salaam claimed a “retaliatory campaign” was launched shortly after, and included “threats from individuals closely associated with Will and Jada.”

Jada then appeared on “The Breakfast Club,” where Salaam said she “falsely stated that Plaintiff had attempted a ‘money shakedown,’ and suggested that Salaam was “engaged in criminal extortion,” the lawsuit claimed.

Duane Martin, Tisha Campbell’s ex-husband, allegedly warned Salaam that he would face serious issues for not helping Jada Pinkett Smith during the Oscars crisis. (Getty Images)

Salaam claimed to suffer “severe, multidimensional harm, including financial loss, reputational destruction, emotional trauma, physical health deterioration, and the complete derailment of his personal life and career.”

“Plaintiff estimates the total value of economic, reputational, emotional, and health-related damages caused by Defendant to exceed three million dollars ($3,000,000.00),” documents stated.

Representatives for Jada Pinkett Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Are ‘Still Together’ Despite Living ‘Own Lives’ in Separate Homes (Exclusive Sources)

Married since 1997 but separated since 2016, the couple “haven’t completely severed ties,” a source tells PEOPLE

 

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are still living independently but their lives remain interconnected, according to a source close to the married stars.

“Call it what you want. They are living their own lives but haven’t completely severed ties,” one source tells PEOPLE.

Another source says Will, 56, and Jada, 53, “are still together,” but as far as cohabiting, they “have had separate homes for years.”

Married since 1997, Will and Jada separated in 2016, the Girls Trip actress revealed ahead of the release of her memoir Worthy in 2023. “We’re still figuring it out,” she told PEOPLE at the time.

“We’ve been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us,” she added. “I’m going to be by his side … but also allow him to have to figure this out for himself.”

These days, “Will is busy with film and music and doing okay,” the first source tells PEOPLE. The producer-actor “is a bit disillusioned with Hollywood but that could all change with some new success,” the source adds. He and Big Sean released a Matrix-inspired music video for their song “Beautiful Scars” on Jan. 30.

In interviews, Will and Jada have offered glimpses of their relationship since their 2016 separation. On an episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty in 2023, Jada revealed that “there have been several breakups between Will and I” over the course of their marriage.

In his 2021 memoir Will, the Men in Black star described moments in the pair’s marriage when they were “both miserable and clearly something had to change. … We have given each other trust and freedom, with the belief that everybody has to find their own way.”

Will and Jada have kids Jaden, 26, and Willow, 24, as well as Trey, 32, whom Will shares with ex-wife Sheree Zampino. The family, including Jada’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris, last appeared on the red carpet together at the May 2024 premiere of Will’s movie Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

In December 2024, a source told PEOPLE that Will and Jada spent Thanksgiving together in a large gathering of family and friends. “Everyone was in wonderful and very grateful spirits,” said the insider.

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