Hollywood actor Will Smith, who sparked controversy after slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, slapped the Reporter in the face 10 years ago. 



On the 29th local time, foreign media such as the New York Post in the US reported a video of an event held in Moscow, Russia in 2012, saying, "This is not the first time Will Smith hit someone in public."



According to reports, at the time, Smith visited the site to promote the movie 'Men in Black 3'.

Surrounded by a large number of reporters and fans, he went into the event hall and gave brief interviews with broadcasters from each country in turn. 




The incident occurred when Smith stood before Ukrainian reporter Vitaly Sediuk.

Sediuk greeted Smith and hugged him, who smiled brightly and hugged him. 



Then, when Sediuk kissed him on the cheek, Smith gave him a displeased expression and pushed him hard.

Still unsatisfied, Smith said, "Are you sane?" and slapped Sediuk on the cheek with the back of his hand. 



Smith told the film crew behind him, "(Sediuk) was about to kiss my lips. You should be lucky that he didn't throw a fist."



Netizens who saw the video 10 years ago are divided into opinions that 'Sediuk's actions were too much' and 'Smith showed an overreaction', and are arguing. 



Smith's advocates emphasized that Sediuk was frequently criticized for his outrageous behavior towards the star, including being charged with assault by grabbing actor Brad Pitt's body at the premiere of the 2013 film. 



On the other hand, critics of Smith pointed out that he had a bad hand habit, referring to the Academy Awards event. 




Earlier, at the 94th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, USA on the 27th, Smith slapped Rock on the cheek when the documentary award winner Rock made a joke about his wife, who had shaved her head due to alopecia. 



Smith, who won the Best Actor award for his role in the movie 'King Richards', apologized in his acceptance speech, but the controversy grew when it was reported that he enjoyed dancing at a party after the awards ceremony.  



In response to the controversy over Smith's assault at the awards ceremony, Sediuk posted on social media, "Smith practiced me first and then slapped me in the face at the Academy Awards." 



As criticism grew, such as the loss of the trophy, Smith apologized on social media the next day, saying, "Violence is destructive in any form. I regret what I did at the Academy Awards last night. I crossed the line and I was wrong." 



However, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which hosts the Academy Awards, said, "We have started an official investigation into the Smith assault case and will consider further action in accordance with California law." 



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(Photos and video = 'Associated Press' YouTube)