Will Smith Hits Red Carpet for LA Premiere of ‘Emancipation’

*Will Smith and his family attended the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film “Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua. 

The Smiths, Will, and wife Jada, and their kids Jaden and Willow, as well as Trey Smith, the actor’s son from his first marriage, gathered on Wednesday at the Regency Village Theatre for the red-carpet event. 

Per the official synopsis: “Emancipation” tells the triumphant story of Peter (Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.

The LA premiere marked the first time Smith has attended a high-profile event since slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars in March. 

READ MORE: Will Smith Shares Emotional Video of Himself on ‘Emancipation’ Set | Watch

#Emancipation producer Joey McFarland brought the original “scourged back” photo from 1863 to the film’s premiere: “I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight.” https://t.co/PUJ13jCFiD pic.twitter.com/kDJCndFJnM

— Variety (@Variety) December 1, 2022

Meanwhile, “Emancipation” film producer Joey McFarland sparked outrage across social media after he walked the red carpet at the premiere with the image of ‘Whipped Peter,’ PEOPLE reports. 

“I have the photo, this is the original photograph from 1863,” McFarland told a Variety reporter in the Twitter video above. “I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight.”

In related news, Smith appeared on “The Daily Show” on Monday and spoke with host Trevor Noah about how he “just lost it” when he slapped Chris Rock for joking about Jada’s bald head at the 94th Academy Awards.

“There’s many nuances and complexities to it, you know, but at the end of the day, I just — I lost it. I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody’s going through,” he said.

“You just don’t know what’s going on with people,” Smith continued. “And I was going through something that night,” emphasizing that it does not justify his behavior.

Smith stars in “Emancipation” alongside Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir, Steven Ogg, Grant Harvey, Ronnie Gene Bivens, Jayson Warner Smith, Jabbar Lewis, Michael Luwoye, Aaron Moten and Imani Pullum.

“Emancipation” is due to be released in select theaters on Dec. 2, before it hits Apple TV+ on Dec. 9. 

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