The Black Community Showed Up and Showed Out for ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ in its Opening Weekend (Here’s Why)

Bad Boys: Ride or Die , starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, soared at the box office in its opening weekend, proving that even a "bad boy" in real life can get a second chance.

Smith, who returned to his iconic role of Detective Mike Lowrey in the fourth installment of the cop buddy franchise, stunned the world when he stormed the stage at the live broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, and slapped Chris Rock across the face. The comedian had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Along with being banned from attending any Oscar-related ceremony for the next 10 years, many wondered if Smith would have any box office power after the fallout. But it seems that the Black community has forgiven Smith his past transgressions and is showing its allegiance to the actor with its presence and dollars. The film has grossed $56 million in the United States and Canada and $48.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $104.6 million. Strong support from Black media also put the movie and Smith back in the spotlight.

Here are some of the statements shared on X (formerly Twitter) with fans declaring how and why they showed up and showed out for Smith, Lawrence and the film franchise.