Will Smith will tackle his infamous Oscars slap “head on” ahead of his Hollywood comeback.
PHOTO: Reuters file

Will Smith will tackle his infamous Oscars slap “head on” ahead of his Hollywood comeback.

The 55-year-old actor stars alongside Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Will is preparing to embark on a big PR campaign ahead of the film’s release.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “This film is Will’s big comeback and his team are going all out to get him out there.”

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is Will’s first major film project since he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022.

And the Hollywood veteran intends to address the “elephant in the room” during the promotional campaign for the movie.

The insider explained: “He will deal head on with the slap and how he has changed since then. It’s likely he will also speak about his marriage to Jada, after they secretly split up more than six years ago.

“The slap is still a bit of an elephant in the room and Will is going to tackle it head on.

“He is booked to appear on a number of big US TV shows and will be an open book.

“People love a redemption story and Will has done a lot of work on himself. He also has a huge fan base who want him back in the thick of the action.”

Will previously apologised to Chris, 59, for his behaviour at the Oscars.

The actor also promised that he would make amends for his mistake.

He said in a statement: “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world. And if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”