'Slapgate': 'Totally understood' if moviegoers not ready to see my new movie , says Will Smith

Will Smith has been speaking about the Oscar slap for the first time publicly to late- night television hosts. He is predicting backfire to his upcoming projects like 'Emancipation' due to the incident that shook the world earlier this year. While speaking to Fox 5 , he said that he understands if people are not willing to watch him on big screen so soon, but he expressed concerns about the team behind the film , including the director Antoine Fuqua. This is Smith's first major project . He also mentioned that his main concern is his team who have worked day in and day out for the film.

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Emancipation tells the story of an escaped slave Gordon, who was the subject of famous photographs documenting the scarring on his back from lashing he received. The shocking photos were published around the world in 1863, fueling the abolitionist movement. The film's release was delayed in May , partly due to concerns about the after effects of Smith's actions at the Academy Awards. It will be released in US theatres this week .

The actual reason why Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock was because he made a joke about his wife's baldness which angered the actor and so Smith hit Rock in an award function. He called the slap an 'unfortunate event', and he further added that he hopes that he can move forward and get past it .

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