Hollywood mainstay Will Smith finds himself at the center of yet another controversy, with his negligent response to a journalist who quizzed him about the latest lawsuit filed against him rubbing netizens the wrong way.
The Bad Boys star, who made a highly anticipated return to music after a 2-decade hiatus with his 2025 album Based on a True Story, was recently sued by his former tour violinist for wrongful termination. Nevertheless, the multifaceted artist seemed to adopt a dangerously nonchalant attitude when asked about the ordeal during a recent encounter.
Will Smith laughs off questions about lawsuit
On January 12, a man interrupted Will Smith as he was leaving a London street to question him about the lawsuit that his ex-tour violinist, Brian King Joseph, had filed against him. The actor, however, did not pay any attention to the query, as per TMZ.
Instead of sharing his take on the issue, Smith simply laughed off the interviewer’s question and got into his car. The cameraperson continued to press the matter, but Smith’s security staff blocked him from proceeding further. The actor was reportedly working on his National Geographic series, Pole to Pole With Will Smith, at the time.
Joseph filed the lawsuit against Will Smith earlier this year, accusing the 57-year-old of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The former America’s Got Talent contestant claimed that Smith had engaged in “predatory behavior” and deliberately groomed and primed him “for further sexual exploitation” during the Based on a True Story: 2025 Tour.
The violinist alleged that during the Las Vegas leg of the tour, his bag and hotel key went missing, only to be returned to him by management. He later discovered that someone had “unlawfully” entered his room and placed several dubious items there, including a suggestive note, a beer bottle, a red backpack, a bottle of HIV medication, an earring, and more.
However, things went downhill when he tried to notify Smith’s entourage of the incident. Instead of helping him, a member of the tour’s management team allegedly “shamed” him and informed him of his termination. Joseph has since filed a lawsuit against Will Smith regarding the same.
