The fallout from the now-infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock slap incident at this year’s Academy Awards is continuing to play out.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that Netflix has now pressed pause on the upcoming film Fast and Loose, which was set to see the King Richard star in the lead role. Director David Leitch also left the project the week before the Oscars took place, which now ultimately leaves this film’s fate in uncertain terms.
Fast and Loose tells the story of “a criminal who loses his memory after an attack. After mysteriously waking up in Tijuana, the character is forced to discover the clues of his past, leading him to learn that he has led two identities—one as a wealthy crime lord, the other as an undercover CIA agent,” according to Variety.
And that’s not all.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Bad Boys 4 is also going on hiatus now, though it’s been in active development for months. Smith already received 40 pages prior to the Oscars incident but now that project is also being put on ice.
In the aftermath of the shocking ordeal at the Oscars, in which Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the 57-year-old comedian cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair—or lack thereof—many have spoken out either against or in support of Smith, while others have tried to shed more light on what was happening in the moments immediately after. The latest person to do so is none other than Denzel Washington, who shared his perspective during a religious conference hosted by Bishop T.D. Jakes.
“There’s a saying when the Devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong,” Washington explained. “The devil goes, ‘Oh no, leave him alone. He’s my favorite. Conversely, when the Devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the Devil got a hold of him [Smith], of that circumstance that night. And fortunately, there were people there, not just me but others in the gap. Tyler Perry came right immediately over there, right with me. [There were] some prayers, I don’t want to say what we talked about. But, there but for the grace of God go any of us. You know who are we to condemn? I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation but I know the only solution was prayer. The way I saw it.”
As previously reported by The Root, Oscars show producer Will Packer also explained his vantage point during an interview with Good Morning America last week. Smith has also now officially resigned from the Academy.