There hasn’t been much said about the Will Smith-Chris Rock moment from the Oscars earlier this year, but the effects are still being discussed. After Smith walked up to Rock and smacked him during the Academy Awards, viewers watched in real-time as the Fresh Prince star—who spent the entirety of his career as a wholesome, beloved figure in Hollywood—found his reputation being called into question.
In reports that immediately followed, gossip spread about projects tied to Smith being placed on hold or dismissed altogether. Prior to the slap heard ’round the world, Smith and his Bad Boys co-star Martin Lawrence were said to have been in talks to release another film in the franchise.
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The pair’s first Bad Boys film dates back to 1995, and since that time there have been several others that have followed. Lawrence spoke about that time in his life with Ebony magazine during his cover feature for their July issue.
“It was big,” the actor said of the impact Bad Boys had on both him and the culture at the time. “For us to come together and prove that we can deliver, and we can pull people into the box office—that two Black stars, two sitcom stars, could make money at the box office [was huge]… I didn’t go to college, so I felt TV was my college years,” explains Lawrence. “I felt with movies, I had graduated; it was just different.”
Ebony reported that Lawrence also put rumors to rest and said that the Oscars slap won’t hinder them from moving forward with a fourth Bad Boys film.
“We got one more at least,” Lawrence reportedly said.
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