Will Smith: Fist Fights, Jail Cells, and the Slap Heard Round the World

In 1989, shortly after winning his first Grammy Award at just 20 years old, Will Smith was arrested and charged with assault after a brawl at a popular Philadelphia radio station left one man nearly blind. It almost ended his career just as things were getting started. But Will Smith overcame this challenge, and so many others, to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. That is, until decades later, at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony, when trouble once again bubbled to the surface.

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The mysterious death of Brittany Murphy. David Lynch and the real-life brutal murder that inspired Twin Peaks. Steve McQueen’s brush with Charles Manson. The three conspiracies surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death. The indecent arrest of John Waters. Dennis Hopper’s easy riding and excessive 70s Hollywood. Woody Harrelson’s Dad’s connection to the JFK assassination. The obsessive murder of Dorothy Stratten. Bill Murray’s bust. Chris Farley burning out too soon. Al Pacino’s armed robbery. The serial killer and Gianni Versace. Heath Ledger’s overdose. If it’s a story that meets up at the corner of Hollywood and True Crime, then it’s an episode of HOLLYWOODLAND, the show that explores the lives of our most celebrated actors and actresses through the true crimes that have most impacted them. Hosted and produced by award winning podcaster Jake Brennan, creator of DISGRACELAND, HOLLYWOODLAND is the first true spin-off of DISGRACELAND and is produced similarly with edge-of-your-seat storytelling and gripping, immersive sound design by the folks at Double Elvis. Episodes are roughly 30 minutes long and released every Monday.

• No. of episodes: 52
• Latest episode: 2025-06-02
• History True Crime

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