Will Smith is back in the headlines, once again drawing attention for his behavior at an awards event.
The 56-year-old actor faced a wave of social media backlash following his performance with Spanish singer India Martínez at Univision's 37th Premio Lo Nuestro Awards in Miami.
Martínez, 39, shared a clip on Instagram showing the two performing their song First Love on stage—an act that became more intimate than many expected. At one point, Smith leaned in as if to kiss Martínez, but she walked away. Moments later, she returned, touched the back of his head, and the two mimicked a kiss without actually locking lips.
Martínez captioned the post: "I want that first passion. I want those first hugs. I want those hard cries. I want that FIRST LOVE ♥🪭."
The performance quickly became a hot topic online, with many criticizing Smith for his behavior—especially in light of his high-profile separation from wife Jada Pinkett Smith in 2023.
One viewer called the moment “cringe 😬,” while another wrote, “Will Smith gives off really creepy old man vibes in this clip. Cringe.”
A third comment referenced Smith’s infamous Oscars slap: “I was waiting for Jada to come out from left stage and smack the sh!t outta her for kissing her man.”
Others questioned the appropriateness of the act, with one remarking, “Inappropriate. Even if it is ‘entertainment.’”
However, some fans defended the moment, arguing that it was all part of the performance. One user explained, “You can tell the attempt was a joke. They never actually kissed. The 2nd attempt when she came back, still no kiss—he leaned his forehead down as to get their lips further apart and backed away.”
The on-stage moment wasn’t the only source of speculation. After the event, Martínez posted another Instagram update, which included several photos from the night—one of which showed her backstage hugging Smith with her legs wrapped around him.
This wasn’t the first time the two have engaged in flirtatious exchanges.
On Valentine’s Day, Smith announced their song’s release on Instagram with a video of himself drawing a red heart on the screen, saying he released the track in celebration of the holiday. Martínez responded in the comments, “We’re like two children in their first love ❤.”
Just days later, Martínez shared a video featuring Smith, calling him her "very special CUPID." She expressed excitement over the song’s positive reception before blowing a kiss to the camera.
Smith also raised eyebrows when he liked a photo of Martínez wearing a form-fitting orange dress on the Premio Lo Nuestro red carpet.
Smith’s public separation from Jada Pinkett Smith, 53, has been a subject of widespread discussion. In October 2023, while promoting her memoir Worthy, Pinkett Smith revealed that she and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star had actually been separated for seven years—a revelation that shocked many.
“I think by the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying,” she said during an interview on Today. “I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”
Despite their struggles, Pinkett Smith emphasized their commitment to staying married:
“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever. And I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
Smith’s complex personal life was further thrust into the spotlight during the 2022 Oscars, when he slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s alopecia. At the time, the public was unaware of the couple’s separation.
In December 2023, Pinkett Smith reflected on the infamous incident, revealing that it actually brought them closer.
“I call it the ‘holy slap’ now because so many positive things came after it,” she told Daily Mail’s YOU Magazine. “That moment of the s— hitting the fan is when you see where you really are.”
She added, “After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him.”
Despite their unconventional dynamic, Smith and Pinkett Smith remain legally married. They tied the knot in 1997 and share two children: Jaden, 26, and Willow, 24. Smith also has an older son, Trey, 32, from his previous marriage to Sheree Zampino.
As Smith continues to make headlines—whether for his career, personal life, or on-stage antics—it’s clear that the world is still watching his every move.
