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'He'll be fine': Whoopi Goldberg and The View co-hosts back Will Smith to bounce back from Slapgate

Goldberg's comments come after some projects that Smith was previously attached to have been shelved by Netflix and Sony after Oscars slapgate

Whoopi Goldberg predicts Will Smith’s career will come back to normal amid backlash over his altercation with Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards last month. Goldberg's comments come after some projects - 'Fast and Loose', 'Bad Boys 4' - that Smith was previously attached to have been shelved by Netflix and Sony after Oscars' slapgate. 

Goldberg, 66, assured viewers that Smith’s career will rebound during an episode of 'The View' on Monday, April 4. The 66-year-old began by saying: "Some people found that [Louis C.K's and Kanye West's Grammy win] controversial, but the show didn't have anything like last week's controversy, which is fine." The talk show host was referring to 'Louie' alum, 54, winning a Grammy for Best Comedy Album on Sunday, April 3, nearly five years after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. 

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Golderg continued, "Also some of Will Smith’s future projects are in question" before she added, "The question is does he have a path back? Yes, of course he does! He will be fine. He will be back. No worries." After Goldberg's intro, co-host Ana Navarro argued in favor of Smith’s comeback, saying she did not agree with Netflix’s choice to drop its planned Smith-starring project.

"He’s had over 30 years of a career, where he’s had a very positive image, been a positive role model, he’s been very philanthropic, he’s done all sorts of things," Navarro said. "None of us should be judged by our worst moment. We should be judged by our entire career. And yes, this is going to be with him the rest of his life. It’s going to be in his obituary. This is not going away."

Navarro continued, "But should it define his life? Should it define his career? No, absolutely not. So I think Netflix and all those are making a mistake, and I hope they reconsider, because we should be able to separate his art from what he did."

Meanwhile, after watching 'The View' episode, netizens seemed to agree with Goldberg and Navarro while some disagreed. One user wrote, "Everyone will say something or do something that is not wrong. Will has never had a moment for us to question his integrity or his mistakes until The Oscar moment. Yes, it was bad. He will pay personally and professionally it should not be forever. He will do the work."

Another added, "@ananavarro keeps gaining my respect and I'm shocked because she's a republican. Ana and @WhoopiGoldberg absolutely nailed it. You don't judge a person by one moment, you judge them by the totality of their actions. Will Smith had one moment in 30+ years of being exemplary. "

Someone else wrote, "Chris Rock and Will Smith not only will be family again their careers will thrive from this. I know people who don't have anything else to do don't want them to be fine but they will be. I pray for them both to heal and embrace each other as brothers again."

However, not all viewers sided with Will Smith as one user wrote, "You can say it all different ways but WILL SMITH WAS TOTALLY OUT OF LINE N NOW BECAUSE OF THAT MOMENT MOST FANS WONT BE TUNING IN n his joke wasn't a big deal him n Jada have bigger issues." A second wrote, "It wasn’t an incident! It was an attack! Call it what it was, please! Don’t minimize the violence I witnessed!."

Will Smith who resigned from the Academy last week, said he will accept any further disciplinary action that the Academy board deems appropriate. 

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