Since actor Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage in March 2022 and punched comedian Chris Rock on national television, creating one of the vital unforgettable and bizarre moments in popular culture history, the actor has been one of the vital polarizing figures in Hollywood. While most individuals can agree and understand that the slap was an act of violence that needed accounting in the mean time it occurred, the extent of vitriol, anger and resentment towards Smith was probably the most common point of debate.

Two years later, as Smith celebrates success with Martin Lawrence and back to music on Sunday, the slap remains to be being weighed within the court of public opinion. But the film’s success reminds us that Smith would never lose the support of black people, especially in light of the blatant double standards he faced.

Smith is one among the brightest stars Hollywood has ever seen. She dropped $100 million movies before it became the norm. In the ’90s, Smith had a top-rated TV show, chart-topping music singles, and created a few of the biggest box office hits every summer. That made Smith one of the vital beloved figures in popular culture, especially black culture.

However, this relationship with Black fans became strained in later years when it was once a person he gave his blessing playing legendary boxer Muhammad Ali would have involved some bizarre and questionable profession turns. He has made a slew of poorly received movies, including in 2013and his front-page headlines were mostly reserved for rumors about his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith and speculation about his ties to Scientology. Throughout the years, Smith has strived to keep up the respect and prominence he enjoyed in his prime years of recognition.

“I think Black people understand that the more successful you are in Black Hollywood, the more isolated you are from Black people and Black culture,” said Saida Grundy, a professor of sociology at Boston University. “We still love you, but we understand that this is part of Hollywood.”

In 2017, Smith underwent a serious profession overhaul when he officially launched his Instagram page with a rigorously curated series of viral videos, inspiring messages and insight into the charismatic Will Smith we grew up with. Even as Smith and Pinkett Smith talked about their marriage in moments of web-breaking drama that nobody asked for, he still struggled to regain his box office dominance. Still, the genius of his social media team (and bestselling memoirs) maintained this bond together with his fans.

And then the Oscars got here.

Smith entered the 2022 Oscars in March as the percentages-on favorite. He became the sixth black man to win best actor for his role as tennis player Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard, in . The film was a transparent Oscar push that had eluded Smith, and his win gave the impression of a foregone conclusion, the culmination of a many years-long series. But as you understand, something went mistaken.

Rock joked about Pinkett Smith, comparing her hair to Demi Moore’s trendy hairstyle. Will walked as much as the stage and punched Rock before shouting the now infamous line, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” And tens of millions of individuals were shocked.

It was one among the strangest, most unexpected, and most shocking moments in such a public, celebrity-filled space. Even now, watching it again, it looks like artificial intelligence. The Slap was greater than only a viral moment. It was a cultural storm. Even Smith’s most ardent fans would must admit he did something mistaken. Yes, Rock made a joke about his wife. Yes, there appears to be some legitimate bad blood lurking beneath the surface. But it’s hard—if not inconceivable—to defend Smith’s antics.

Then the backlash poured in, and it became clear that, regardless of how mistaken Smith was, double standards and racial politics were inevitably going to be the elephant within the room. And if there’s one thing that may make Black people rally around one other Black person—especially one who hasn’t offended Black people as an entire—it’s the presence of double standards and mistreatment due to that person’s blackness.

“White supremacy has always worked by associating bad manners, inappropriate behavior and violence with the people it oppresses,” Grundy said. “There was something disturbing to them about a Black man having the freedom to walk on that stage. We understand the unspoken.”

When director Judd Apatow I tweeted and deleted it that Smith could have “killed” Rock with a line like “It’s pure, uncontrollable rage and violence,” or when the comedian Posted by Amy Schumer that she still felt “triggered and traumatized” days later, gave the impression of overreactions. And for black people, they gave the impression of overreactions based on a history of racial politics that marks black men as cruelly aggressive, yes, even when others Black people were gathering.

Smith was mistaken, however the words used to explain what happened made black people wonder if the identical words can be used to explain a white man who did the identical. one other Oscar ban — Smith won’t give you the option to attend the ceremony for 10 years — also exposed double standards in light of who’s banned and threatened. Smith’s name now appears on an inventory of convicted sex offenders akin to former film producer Harvey Weinstein and comedian Bill Cosby. He can be not on the list of men accused of molesting women.

So when was Smith purported to be fired this summer, after his first full-blown attempt at a summer blockbuster because the slapstick, publications quickly revisited the incident, running headlines just like the one from Variety who wondered if fans are willing to “forgive” his slap from two years ago. The questions were accompanied by box office projections that the film would earn between $30 and $45 million in its opening week. The film exceeded those projections and grossed $56 million.

It’s one other reminder of the disconnect between the media, Hollywood and black audiences, especially in the case of how we perceive Smith, his star power and his slap within the face.

While Hollywood may not have been able to forgive Smith, black audiences showed that we’ve moved on from a difficult moment two years ago. If you wish proof, look no further than the undeniable fact that black viewers made up 44% of the audience . Smith addressed those viewers throughout the film’s premiere, surprising the audience mostly in black cinemas and appears in black establishments akin to on SiriusXM. It doesn’t hurt that Will’s latest hit can be a return to a franchise that has all the time been geared toward black viewers, a franchise that began with two of the largest black TV stars of the ’90s and has all the time resonated with black viewers. The same black viewers who largely bashed and criticized Smith for The Slap and moved on.

Is Hollywood able to forgive Will Smith? It doesn’t matter in any respect. He has the support of the Black fans who were already there. And he’s clearly regained his status as a summer blockbuster star.