EXCLUSIVE: Inside Will Smith's Spectacular Fall From Grace as He's Accused of Turning to AI to Create Fans For Flop Comeback Bid
Will Smith is now facing accusations of using AI to create fake fans for his comeback.
Sept. 3 2025, Published 11:12 a.m. ET
Will Smith's unwanted return to the stage has been overshadowed by claims the 56-year-old actor and musician used artificial intelligence to fake adoring crowds for his new tour – with sources telling RadarOnline.com his career is now "dead."
The former Hollywood megastar launched his European comeback in Scarborough, England, earlier this month with a concert promoting his album Based On A True Story.
Fake Fan Support Claims
Will Smith returned to the stage with his European comeback tour.
Yet a video posted on his official YouTube channel, titled "My favourite part of tour is seeing you all up close. Thank you for seeing me too," quickly went viral after fans spotted glaring visual glitches – including six-fingered hands and banners riddled with spelling errors such as "FR6SH CRINCE."
Viewers accused the star of staging support through AI-generated images.
"Imagine being this rich and famous and having to use AI footage of crowds and bot comments on your video. Tragic, man. You used to be cool," wrote one user beneath the clip.
Another remarked: "Just enjoy retirement, man. This is pathetic."
Will, once among the most bankable names in Hollywood, has seen his career unravel since the notorious night of the 2022 Oscars when he slapped comedian Chris Rock live on stage.
The incident, broadcast worldwide, resulted in a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, the halting of Netflix's thriller Fast And Loose and the collapse of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation after donations plunged by more than 80 percent.
Will's Rocky Years
Viewers mocked banners in the clip for spelling errors like 'FR6SH CRINCE.'
The fallout coincided with turmoil in his personal life.
Jada Pinkett Smith, 53, admitted in 2020 to an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina and revealed in her 2023 memoir Worthy she and Smith had been separated for years.
The couple, who never divorced, now live apart.
Will himself has attempted to frame the Oscars scandal as an opportunity for renewal.
In an interview promoting his album, he said: "I can look at (the incident) as an absolute mess, horrible, terrible – or I can look at it as a really great kintsugi opportunity, to rebuild something beautiful and powerful.
I hate admitting that I'm only human – my ego wants to be Superman. The word I was thinking about when I thought about the last couple of years of my life was 'brutaful' – brutal and beautiful."
His return to the stage has done little to quiet criticism. Performing for 6,000 people in Scarborough before moving on to Wolverhampton's Civic Hall this weekend, Will has faced ridicule for leaning on digital trickery to present an image of adoring crowds.
Jaden Smith was recently photographed near drug paraphernalia in Paris.
The controversy has revived questions about the pressures within the Smith family itself.
Daughter Willow, 24, recently posted a tearful selfie to her 11.5 million Instagram followers, prompting a flood of online derision.
In a conversation with British singer Yungblud, she revealed: "I had a flashback of being 10 or nine and having an anxiety attack on set and basically feeling like everyone around me was like, 'You're just a brat. Why aren't you grateful?'
"They saw it as a tantrum. Now, I look back and know it was an anxiety attack."
Meanwhile, Will's son Jaden, 27, was photographed in Paris earlier this summer surrounded by drug paraphernalia.
He has since announced a philanthropic food truck venture, the I Love You Restaurant, to provide free meals to homeless people.
Will's Parenting
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Insiders say AI controversy makes his comeback look desperate.
Will has long acknowledged his forceful approach to parenting.
Speaking to comedian Kevin Hart on the show Hart To Heart in 2021, he said: "2010 was like the greatest year as an artist, as a parent… but no one wanted to be in a platoon.
Willow was the first one to begin the mutiny and it was my first realization that success and money don't mean happiness."
A Hollywood insider told us: "Despite attempts to reframe his image, Smith's latest comeback is another nail in the coffin for his now-dead career.
"His reliance on questionable footage has only fueled perceptions of desperation – a stark contrast to the days when he could command $20 million a film and fill stadiums with ease."
