Will Smith Is Hoping That Tom Brady's Magic Will Rub Off on Him
Will Smith is still trying to restore his reputation after he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. From viral TikTok videos to his new rap album, the 56-year-old actor is ready to be back in fans' good graces — and he might have discovered a way to do it.
Last year, Tom Brady participated in Netflix's The Roast of Tom Brady and it captured headlines for weeks. His ex-wife Gisele Bündchen didn't love the jokes, but it proved that the former NFL star had a sense of humor about his very A-list life. Now, Smith is reportedly considering the opportunity to be the next celebrity roasted in the streamer's upcoming special, per Puck News.
Smith is on a list of "a few" stars who are in consideration, but the fact that he didn't decline Netflix already might mean he's looking for a bit of that Brady magic to rub off on him. “This was the very, very first time that he wasn’t the good guy, that the internet treated him like the villain,” Omarr Rambert told Page Six. He executive-produced Smith's latest album, Based on a True Story, so he's seen fallout firsthand.
“[Now] he just wants to be vulnerable and honest and show other sides of himself," Rambert added. The Netflix roast could be a way for the King Richard star to rewrite his story and get out of the PR nightmare that has followed him over the last three years. In the aftermath of the 2022 incident, Smith resigned his membership from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was banned from attending the show for 10 years.
Smith is certainly trying to win the public over again. On March 14, he posted a video clip with Tatyana Ali that recreated their iconic dance scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. They used Doechii's trending song, "Anxiety," and the singer even popped in the clip to join them. Ali shared behind-the-scenes content of the filming, and it was evident that this was a full-scale operation. Smith is not cutting corners on his comeback.
Related: Will Smith Breaks Silence on Chris Rock Slap in New Album