Inside the Agonies Gnawing Away at Hollywood Outcast Will Smith — Including Marriage Pain and Losing His Soul

Will Smith is still battling to reclaim his place in Hollywood, but those close to the actor tell OK! his relentless effort has come at a steep personal cost, leaving him altered by scandal, introspection and a sense the persona which once defined him has slipped away.

The Oscar winner, 57, has been attempting a careful comeback since the night he assaulted comedian Chris Rock, 60, onstage at the Academy Awards in 2022, an incident that led to industry ostracism and a 10-year ban from the ceremony.

That process was recently jolted again when violinist Brian King Joseph filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Smith – allegations the actor has denied.

The actor's attorney Allen B. Grodsky said the claims were "false, baseless and reckless."

Despite the legal cloud, Smith is pressing ahead with plans to revive his career through a sequel to I Am Legend, the 2007 hit that grossed more than $585 million worldwide.

He has been developing the project with Michael B. Jordan, and confirmed the sequel will follow an alternate ending in which his character survives.

A business associate said: "Will sees the performance of Bad Boys: Ride or Die as validation that he still connects with audiences. In his mind, a I Am Legend sequel is the project that can cement that support and re-establish him as a serious box office force."

Behind the scenes, however, friends say Smith is a very different man from the exuberant star who once anchored The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and blockbusters such as Men in Black.

One insider said: "The person people remember – endlessly upbeat, sharp, and playful – has largely faded. In its place is a far more introspective figure, and someone intent on projecting calm and self-awareness rather than effortless joy."

That shift, associates say, began after Smith immersed himself in therapy and spiritual counseling following the Oscars attack.

A source said: "The shift from the familiar, affable Will Smith to this more guarded, self-conscious version of himself has been profound. Seeing his anger exposed on the global stage of the Oscars triggered an intense period of soul-searching that reshaped how he sees himself."

Smith has spoken privately, sources say, about childhood trauma linked to an abusive father and the emotional contradictions of idolizing a parent who also caused harm.

"Will feels he masked deep emotional wounds by creating an outsized, exuberant public persona," an insider added. "Therapy has peeled that armor back. The familiar smile remains, but it no longer carries the same effortless radiance."

Compounding that inner turmoil has been renewed scrutiny of his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith, 54.

In 2020, Pinkett Smith famously revealed on Red Table Talk she had an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina during a period of separation. Alsina later claimed Smith had given his blessing.

A source said: "The decision to discuss their marriage so publicly took many people by surprise. Will would reassure those around him that nothing was wrong, yet the very act of exposing so much detail only deepened the sense of uncertainty."

While Bad Boys: Ride or Die earned about $300 million globally in 2024, doubts remain about the timing of Smith's next steps.

Jordan's schedule has filled rapidly following the success of Sinners.

Another insider said: "Michael's career is accelerating rapidly, and his attention is pulled in multiple directions. Navigating the added sensitivities and baggage attached to Will is simply not at the top of his list right now, which has slowed progress and heightened Will's sense of frustration."

Those close to Smith say he still believes in redemption, but the waiting, the recent lawsuit and his unresolved personal reckoning have left him searching for something he once took for granted.

"Will is clearly striving for a professional return, but the deeper struggle is more personal," one friend added. "Beyond rebuilding his career, he is trying to understand who he is when the public persona that once defined him is no longer doing the work."