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Will Smith talks of trauma with David Letterman in new interview; disclaimer reads 'filmed before Oscars'

New DelhiEdited By: Shomini SenUpdated: May 23, 2022, 11:38 PM IST
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Will Smith. Photograph:(Reuters)

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During the hour-long interview, the actor detailed his 2021 memoir 'Will' and delved into the "trauma" that he experienced throughout his childhood and career.

Season 4 of David Letterman's Netflix show 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' premiered on May 20. The OTT platform dropped Will Smith's interview recently as part of the series with a disclaimer that read 'Filmed before Oscars'.

The episode opened with a title card that informed viewers that "this episode was filmed prior to the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony."

Smith opened up about his life's 'trauma' to Letterman in the interview.

During the hour-long interview, the actor detailed his 2021 memoir 'Will' and delved into the "trauma" that he experienced throughout his childhood and career, explaining that he`s "always thought of myself as a coward" after he witnessed his father "beat up" his mother as a child and did not intervene.

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He then stated that this caused him to project a cheery, positive image throughout his career. "When I showed up, I wanted people to feel good and be happy. Because I found that when my household was that way, I felt safe," he said.Later, he even shared that once after taking Ayahuasca he had experienced a vision of "my whole life getting destroyed," the outlet reported."When I came out of it, I realized that anything that happens in my life, I can handle it. I can handle any person I lose. I can handle anything that goes wrong in my life. I can handle anything in my marriage," Smith shared.

Towards the end of the conversation, Will shared that addressing all of these difficult feelings that he's been grappling with throughout his life has "unlocked" a new part of him as an actor.

In March this year, the actor made headlines for slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars stage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later Smith picked up his first Oscar for 'King Richard'. 

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Days later, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and received a 10-year ban. He also publicly apologized to Chris for the incident.