Sadhguru and ISKCON deny Will Smith met them, so what was star doing in India?
Will Smith had an eventful Oscars 2022, where he slapped Chris Rock just before receiving an award for his movie ‘King Richard’. The 'slapgate' was widely criticized and Will had to apologize later. Besides, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who was at the center of Rock’s joke at the event, also had to issue a statement. And then, almost a month after the incident, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ star was spotted in India.
It was speculated that Will was in the Asian country to meet spiritual guru Sadhguru J Vasudev as well as to visit a religious institution, ISKCON. However, it has now been reported that, according to Sadhguru’s spokesperson, the actor had no interaction with him during his recent trip to India. They also told Indian Express, “Sadhguru is on a global tour to promote Save Soil Movement. Sadhguru has not met Will Smith recently.”
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Who is Sadhguru? Will Smith jets to India to meet 'spiritual' leader
#WillSmith in Mumbai- post the Oscar slapgate. Reason for visit yet unknown - although was seen with a spiritual leader- he has in the past also met Sadhguru and been part of the Ganga Aarti in Benares pic.twitter.com/wCwuyhFiYa
— Griha Atul (@GrihaAtul) April 23, 2022
The 64-year-old Indian yoga guru is reportedly in Turkey currently. Asked about the slapgate in an interview with France24, he replied: “From what I know of Will, he is a wonderful human being, absolutely wonderful human being. At the same time, does he have the right to go on stage and hit somebody? Absolutely no! Absolutely no in public places, people going and expressing themselves in violent ways must be absolute no, not just for him, but for anybody for that matter…”
He also noted: “Everybody thinks you can punch somebody in the face, so that should be absolutely no. But at the same time we are heading towards a culture (where) I can pick up your mother and discuss ugly things about her, I can pick up your wife and say ugly things about her. This must also be contained a little bit. Alright? If I want to make jokes about you or your family, I should know you that well that I can sit with you in private and make jokes about you.”
Besides, a source from ISKCON refuted rumors that Will visited one of their centers for a spiritual exchange, claiming no such event was held when he was in the country. As yet, there is no official confirmation on why the father-of-three flew to India.
For the uninitiated, Will had hit Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in March after the comedian made fun of Jada’s alopecia. The aftermath of the shocking episode saw Will resigning from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the academy prohibiting him for 10 years. The 53-year-old also issued an apology that read: “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
In April, Jada also issued a statement on her Facebook Watch talk show 'The Red Table Talk', noting: “Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing. Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls. Until then... the table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredibly impressive first guest.”