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Is it true?
By Nia Tipton — Written on Apr 06, 2022
Amid the public scrutiny following the incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock that took place at the Oscars more than a week ago, rumors are spreading that Smith has decided to admit himself into rehab.
Smith has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the incident and it is suspected that he will be seeking ways to rehabilitate his image.
Is Will Smith in rehab?
So far, the actor's camp has not confirmed nor denied whether or not Smith has checked into a facility.
The speculation comes after an anonymous source sent in a tip to gossip site Deux Moi that read, "This Oscars standout is going to rehab soon and WILL announce in a very public statement."
Though Smith is not named explicitly, many people were quick to assume the "Oscars standout" in question was him, considering how much backlash the 53-year-old actor has endured since walking onstage during the live broadcast of the Oscars and slapping Rock in the face.
The rumors were further pushed after The Sun reported that Smith will be visiting a high-end retreat to take a break from work and instead use the time to self-reflect.
Sources claim Will Smith will check into a rehab facility soon.
"The impact of the backlash has hit Will hard, so he will be getting help on dealing with stress. This is unquestionably the battle of his career," a source told The Sun.
"It will be a high-end retreat used by the rich and famous and he will be doing a lot of soul searching and working out how he can move forward. He hopes the conversation will move on so he can come back and salvage his reputation and career."
The news of Smith's possible admission into rehab comes after the 'King Richard' actor formally resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
Smith is already facing consequences for his actions.
"The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith said in a statement, according to Variety.
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
He continued, I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film."
"Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
Despite Smith's resignation, Academy president David Rubin confirmed that they will still be moving forward with their disciplinary proceedings, which were originally supposed to take place on April 18 but were recently moved to this Friday morning.
It was also reported that many of Smith's upcoming film productions have been put on pause following the aftermath of the Oscars.
Pre-production on Smith's starring role in the Netflix action film 'Fast and Loose' has been put on the back-burner. Prior to the incident at the Oscars, the film’s director David Leitch had dropped off the project, and while Netflix had initially planned to find another director to take over immediately, they decided to wait.
Along with that, Smith was reportedly given 40 pages of script for an upcoming fourth installment to the 'Bad Boys' franchise, but Sony too opted to bench the film from further active development.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.