Will Smith has been racially abused by police “on more than 10 occasions.”
The Bad Boys actor admitted he got stopped “frequently” by officers in Philadelphia, who used derogatory language toward him because of his skin color.
Speaking on podcast “On One With Angela Rye,” he said: “I grew up in Philadelphia. I grew up under Mayor [Frank] Rizzo. He went from the chief of police to becoming the mayor, and he had an iron hand.
“I’ve been called n—– by the cops in Philly on more than 10 occasions.
“I got stopped frequently. So I understand what it’s like to be in those circumstances with the police.”
The 51-year-old star thinks the global Black Lives Matter protests are unprecedented and he’s pleased so many people have pledged their support to ending racism.
He said: “We are in a circumstance that we’ve never been in before.
“The entire globe has stood up and said to the African American people, ‘We see you and we hear you. How can we help?’ We’ve never been there before.”
While Smith can understand the anger many people feel about racism, he warned about the dangers of being “consumed” by rage.
Continue reading on the next page.
