J Balvin on Connecting with Will Smith After the Oscars Slap: ‘I Felt His Pain’

J Balvin on Connecting with Will Smith After the Oscars Slap: ‘I Felt His Pain’

J Balvin on Connecting with Will Smith After the Oscars Slap: ‘I Felt His Pain’

J Balvin, the Colombian reggaeton superstar, recently opened up about his connection with Will Smith following the infamous Oscars slap, explaining why he chose to collaborate with the actor for his alien-themed Coachella set. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Balvin shared his deep admiration for Smith, calling him “one of my biggest idols.”

Reflecting on the incident at the 2022 Oscars, where Smith slapped host Chris Rock after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, Balvin expressed empathy rather than judgment. “You cannot judge a person for some mistakes,” he said, emphasizing the humanity behind the moment.

Balvin, who sought Smith out for his Coachella performance, explained that he felt a strong connection to the actor, particularly after the Oscars controversy. “I felt his pain because I was going through a similar situation when I felt that some part of the world was against me for mistakes,” Balvin revealed. He may have been referring to the backlash he faced in 2021 over his music video for “Perra,” which was criticized for being racist and misogynistic.

The slap had reverberations throughout Hollywood, leading Smith to resign from the Academy and receive a 10-year ban. But for Balvin, a single mistake doesn’t define a person. “If it’s like that, we all are bad,” he told Rolling Stone.

Balvin also reflected on Smith’s public journey through “darkness and light,” saying, “My inner child was screaming to have him in my show because there was no one better than him.” For Balvin, Smith’s presence at Coachella was a dream come true.

As Smith slowly re-emerges into the public eye—most recently with a successful Bad Boys: Ride or Die press tour, a new song at the 2024 BET Awards, and an appearance on “Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration”—Balvin is cheering him on. “I’m happy right now for his new season, too,” Balvin said. “As I’m having a new season, he’s having his new season, and I salute that.”

Smith has several upcoming projects through his company Westbrook, including I Am Legend 2, a Netflix biopic about Nicky Barnes titled The Council, and a new album called Dance in Your Darkest Moments, his first in nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, Balvin is celebrating the release of his sixth studio album Rayo, featuring collaborations with artists like Bad Gyal and Carín León.

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