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Will Smith is sharing his thoughts about being banned from the Oscars ahead of his upcoming album.
During an interview the Associated Press published on Friday, March 21, the Academy award-winning actor and rapper was asked if he plans to appeal the 10-year ban he received after he slapped host Chris Rock in the middle of the Oscars' live broadcast in 2022. Without hesitation, Smith replied that he's only focused on being a better person.
“I am looking to be the best human I can possibly be and I’m gonna take what I get with that,” he said.
“I’ve taken the last couple of years to really do a deep dive on the parts of me that may or may not been in that level of certainty and asking those deep scary internal questions,” he told the outlet. He also responded to criticism from other actors like Jim Carrey, who claimed Smith's actions were "wrong" and believed he was "living beyond the bandwidth.”
“There’s a small self that — the small concept of myself - can get to the end of his bandwidth,” he said. “And then, if I back up, there’s like an infinite space, where my bandwidth is the bandwidth of life itself. It’s like trying to not get stuck in having to be only a narrow band of things, to give myself permission to be wider in the truth of who and what I actually am.”
Smith has done a lot of soul searching and reflection over the past three years. He's channeled most of his energy into his upcoming studio album Based On A True Story. The first "season" of his upcoming trilogy is set to arrive this Friday with special appearances from DJ Jazzy Jeff, B. Simone, Teyana Taylor, Russ, Jaden Smith and more. Smith told AP that the album, which is his first in two decades, is a result of his self-reflection.
“It really is the result of my initial self-examination,” he said. “Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. It’s the most full musical offering that I’ve ever created.”
Look out for Will Smith's upcoming album dropping Friday, March 28.