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Will Smith's 1989 assault that almost left man blind resurfaces after he slapped Chris Rock

Will Smith was arrested over an alleged vicious assault that took place in Philadelphia in 1989

A previous assault case involving Will Smith has resurfaced after he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars on Sunday, March 27. As per reports, Smith was arrested over an alleged vicious assault that took place in Philadelphia in 1989. Smith, who was 20 at the time, was involved in an argument that resulted in the man almost losing sight in one eye.

The charges against the 53-year-old actor included aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, but they were later dismissed. According to the National Enquirer, the assault occurred shortly after Smith received his first rap Grammy, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff. As per a police report, Smith asked his bodyguard, Charles Alston, to "attack" record promoter William Hendricks, who needed six stitches after he fractured his left eye orbit during the attack.

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A source told the magazine, "Will had to spend a night in the cell at the West Philadelphia police station with other inmates waking him up all night long and asking for his autograph. It was the worst night of his life. He wants to forget it ever happened," Daily Mail reports.

Meanwhile, at the 2022 Oscars, Will stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's "GI Jane" haircut. After going back to his seat, he shouted at Rock, "Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth." Even when he accepted his Best Actor award for 'King Richard', Smith said, "I know, to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse. You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you. And you gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that's okay."

Smith didn't apologize to Rock and instead said, "I wanna apologize to the Academy, I wanna apologize to all my fellow nominees." He further tried to defend his actions by saying, "Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, but love will make you do crazy things." This incident shocked everyone present and sparked a flurry of memes, tweets, and articles.

While some people slammed Smith for his behaviour and for not apologizing, others praised Rock for his composure and professionalism in continuing the show despite the slap gate incident. Meanwhile, industry insiders told New York Post that Smith may be asked to hand back his Best Actor award after his assault on Rock.

"It's basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable. I think Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen now," a source told the outlet. Rock has decided to not file a police report against Smith yet, as per the Los Angeles Police Department.