Will Smith is not finding a lot of support after his Oscars controversy, in which he took to the stage to shockingly slap comedian Chris Rock across the face.
But you know who is showing him the love? Longtime friend and fellow Philadelphia native Kevin Hart.
Or so we think Smith is getting a lot of support from Hart, anyways. Because whatever is going on between the pals, it’s apparently very much happening behind the scenes and away from public view!
Related: Adam Sandler Shows Public Support For Chris Rock After Jaw-Dropping Oscars Slap!
Of course, we’ve been reporting on Sunday night’s “slap seen around the world” over the last 48 hours — as well as the aftermath for both men. The fallout has included a public apology from the Independence Day actor, who cited his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith‘s “medical condition” being mocked that caused an emotional response that he regrets. It seems most celebs are strongly condemning violence in any form after the slap.
But an insider revealed to The Sun that Kevin is in Will’s corner following the slapping incident, referencing Hart’s past hosting snafu with key details about the current-day situation:
“Will has plenty of support after slap-gate, but Kevin and his family especially have been giving their advice. They have been friends and neighbors for years and Kevin really has his back because he knows exactly how he feels at the moment. Hosting the Oscars was meant to be a huge moment for him when his alleged homophobic tweets were revealed, he has his own messy history with the Academy.”
Yeah, until Will, he was probably the biggest persona non grata among Oscar viewers over his clear reluctance to apologize for old homophobic jokes.
According to the insider, Kevin is keen on doing whatever he can for the Men In Black superstar as Will works through this difficult and uncertain time in the aftermath of the violent act:
“They chatted it out before Will made a public apology yesterday and he’s continuing to support him as he weathers the storm and waits to see if he’s going to be stripped of his Oscar.”
He’s supporting him… but only behind closed doors? Plenty of stars have made it a point to speak out in public with regards to the incident, though mostly in Rock’s corner — but it would appear that Kevin is not going that route.
Related: Jim Carrey Has THOUGHTS About The Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars Incident…
Neither is Will, though. The insider revealed that “plenty of people” are rallying around him and Jada at this point, sharing an optimistic view of the overall situation:
“Will is laying low at the moment with Jada and the kids but he’s got plenty of people rallying round him, it’s just disappointing such a huge moment in his career has been tainted like this, but he’ll bounce back.”
We sure hope so for all involved!
It’s interesting to see Hart’s name come up in this at all, because Kevin is truly at the hart of this situation: he’s friends with Will but also set to tour with Chris later this year! The pair has a number of planned joint stand-up comedy dates planned for July around New York and New Jersey. Could that be why he’s so silent with his support??
The insider surmises that having one foot in each world may cause Kevin to be called upon to bring an end to the beef as a mutual friend:
“They are friends, but Kevin has always been close with Will and looks up to him, hopefully he can bring the two of them together to sort things out.”
Wow!
That would sure be something if he ended up being the peacemaker. Reactions, Perezcious readers?
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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