Over the weekend, photos circulated of Will Smith in Mumbai, India. He posed for an Instagram with a friend, but most of the photos were just paparazzi pics. No one really knew what Will was doing in India, so People Magazine asked around. Turns out, Will is on a spiritual journey:
Will Smith is on a journey inward, one month after he struck Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars. The 53-year-old actor was seen for the first time since the Academy Awards when he arrived at a private airport in Mumbai, India on Saturday. Will was met with paparazzi who awaited his arrival, and he smiled for photos with a fan.
A source tells PEOPLE that the actor traveled to India for spiritual purposes, to practice yoga and meditation.
Good for him. Will has clearly been listening to advice from his team, and I imagine that advice is pretty simple: keep your head down, don’t try to come back too soon, go somewhere and get your head together. That’s exactly what he’s doing – I would imagine he’s probably taking part in some kind of spiritual and/or yoga retreat, popular with many tourists. Meanwhile, Page Six’s sources are in a snit about it:
While Will Smith is on a supposed “spiritual tour” of India to meditate, he still hasn’t personally apologized or reached out to Chris Rock after his infamous Oscars slap. Many Hollywood insiders are rolling their eyes as Smith, 53, insists his trip is part of his vow to do “the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
One insider said, “Will’s ‘spiritual journey’ to India for yoga and meditation seems cynical and ridiculous, given that he hasn’t apologized personally to the one person he assaulted in front of millions. No amount of Namastes will make up for that.”
Will did apologize to Chris in his Instagram post the Monday after the Oscars. Will has also apologized to the Academy and everyone at or watching the Oscars three times by my count. You know who hasn’t said one f–king word of apology? Chris Rock, who made fun of a Black woman with alopecia in front of all of her white colleagues.
Anyway, maybe I’m naive, but I don’t really think Will Smith taking a spiritual vacation to India is some kind of cynical ploy. This is Will wanting to get out of his head and find some peace? What is he supposed to do, stay in LA and just hide out in his mansion for six months?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- MADRID, SPAIN – JANUARY 08: Us actor Will Smith attends ‘Bad Boys For Life’ photocall at Villa Magna hotel on January 08, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. USA, UK, AUS, NZ ONLY Photograph: © Alter Photos/PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com,Image: 562895621, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Alter Photos / Alter Photos / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669532642, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669532669, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515557, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Oscar® nominee Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrives on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at the Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673541241, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Oscar® nominee Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at the Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673567160, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
Good for him for doing this. I imagine the last few weeks have been out of this world stressful.
And Chris Rock is trash.
Thank you. I’m so sick of these hypocritical dump-truck dropout loser “celebs” carping on about how “horrified” they were at Will’s slap. Get the f*** over it, you’ve ALL done MUCH worse!
Good for him! He’s obviously going through some things that he needs to work out.
I’ve largely kept quiet about how I felt about it because the immediate reaction was bonkers. A month out my opinion is – While Chris’s joke was in very poor taste. Will’s reaction to it was unwarranted. While I do agree the Academy had a right to punish him. 10 years seems extreme to me. And I remain utterly disgusted at all of the over the top hot takes and bandwagoning from people try to get some PR leverage from the incident. I’m looking at YOU Amy Schumer! 🙄
YES!
Good for Will. I hope that his journey refreshes his soul and spirit and he comes back with a peaceful and even more full of love.
Chris Rock can f*ck off.
This x 100000 I will add Amy Schumer, Jim Carrey, the Academy and some other people not even worth to mention can F*ck off with Rock
YES!!
+1
So true. “Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. Will has an amazing opportunity in front of him to drive out hate.
Chris Rock made fun of someone that takes herself way too seriously that happened to have a shaved head. He probably didn’t even know she has alopecia – or even what that was. Leave him alone! What he did was NOT out of bounds. How is a joke about someone’s appearance is so far beyond the pale but hitting someone in front of the whole world is just fine. Jada and Will are weird and that’s fine. Most of us are. But they should have kept that sh*t to themselves, like the rest of us do.
Two things can be true at once. Will Smith can want to ‘find peace’ and get out of is head for a bit, AND he can also cynically recognize the function that the trip could play in rehabilitative PR. Much the same with someone in prison finding Jesus. The fact that a ‘source’ told People about the trip suggests that at the very least, his people want him to have credit for making the journey (and btw… that’s fine and good for him!)
Good for him. Will be interesting to see if this journey impacts the direction and initiatives the Will & Jada Smith Foundation take on.