Will Smith explains why he disagrees with 'defund the police' sentiment
Along with Denzel Washington, Will Smith is one of the most famous movie cops in Hollywood thanks to his blockbuster Bad Boys franchise. In a wide-ranging new interview with GQ, the star of the upcoming Oscar hopeful King Richard touches on the complicated subject of real-world policing. Specifically, Smith addresses the "Defund the police" movement that gained traction after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May 2020, four months after the third Bad Boys installment, Bad Boys for Life, racked up $200 million at the U.S. box office. And much like Washington — who recently told Yahoo Entertainment that he has the "utmost respect" for real-life cops — Smith sounds a more cautious note about the movement's goals.
"I would love if we would just say 'Defund the bad police,'" he remarks, likening it to the conflicting messaging over critical race theory. "It’s almost like I want, as Black Americans, for us to change our marketing for the new position we’re in. So 'critical race theory,' just call it 'truth theory.' The pendulum is swinging in our direction beautifully."
"This is a difficult area to discuss, but I feel like the simplicity of Black Lives Matter was perfect," Smith continues. "Anybody who tries to debate Black Lives Matter looks ridiculous. So when I talk about the marketing of our ideas, Black Lives Matter was perfection. From a standpoint of getting it done, Black Lives Matter gets it done. 'Defund the police' doesn’t get it done, no matter how good the ideas are. I’m not saying we shouldn't defund the police. I’m saying, just don’t say that, because then people who would help you won’t."
Amid the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, Smith spoke up about his own interactions with police officers as a young man in Philadelphia, indicating that he was called the "N" word on multiple occasions. "I got stopped frequently," he remarked on the podcast, On 1 With Angela Rye. "So I understand what it's like to be in those circumstances with the police."
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/will-smith-disagrees-defund-the-police-sentiment-161339421.html
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