Will Smith moves on from Oscars slap with The Game Changer
Last month Men In Black star Will Smith quietly became the global creative director for Dictador rum. As the actor unveils his first release for the Columbian rum brand, he says the project is “exactly what I want to do with my life”.
Will Smith readily admits he has not been a regular rum drinker. In fact, what drew him to Dictador when he first discovered the brand while filming Gemini Man in Cartagena was the master blending of cultures.
“When I thought about the idea of a Polish businessman with a Columbian rum family with an African-American global creative director, it was exactly what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “Bringing people together globally in the spirit of artistic collaboration, to be able to centre meetings and events around global artistic collaboration, I was just on fire with that idea.
“Building bridges between cultures is what I’m most excited about.”
Marketing gamble
When founder and CEO Mariusz Jawoszek announced in late December 2025 that Smith was joining the Dictador team, he called the Academy Award-winner “an icon for my generation” and added that it would “be difficult to imagine a better personality to collaborate with.”
It was also something of a marketing gamble given the controversy surrounding Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during the 2022 Oscars. The incident saw the Independence Day actor banned from attending events held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 10 years, and drew an outpouring of responses, both negative and positive, from fellow actors and celebrities.
Amy Schumer, who co-hosted the 94th edition of the Oscars, called Smith’s actions “so disturbing” and claimed it “says so much about toxic masculinity”, while Hollywood director Judd Apatow condemned Smith’s slap as “pure out of control rage and violence” in a since-deleted Tweet.
However, others such as actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish praised Smith for standing up for his wife, Jada Pinkett, at whom Rock’s unscripted joke [which led to the slap] was aimed. “As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you.”
Partner Content
Rapper Niki Minaj also defended Smith’s reaction, saying that while people took Rock’s words as a joke, Smith instead saw his wife’s pain. “Imagine what it must feel like to be losing your hair to the point where you have to shave it bald. You think that’s easy to deal with for anyone? You don’t think she’s cried about that many times? Y’all gon have to see these men about those jokes you made about their wives.”
The Game Changer
In light of the above, the chosen name for Smith’s first product release for Dictador is telling, and suggests the actor may be signalling to the world that he is ready to move on.
Described as “a legacy rum”, The Game Changer is crafted from virgin sugar cane honey and distilled in pot and column stills, with notes of caramel, dark chocolate, dried citrus, honey, oak and spices. It is housed in a unique bottle designed by artist Richard Orlinksi, featuring King Kong’s head as the stopper, and buyers can choose the colour of their bottle (priced at US$169), from grey, green, lilac or violet.
Produced by third-generation master blender Hernan Parra, The Game Changer was aged in barrels filled between 1999 and 2019, creating “a liquid time capsule”, according to the brand. “Each bottle is a tribute to Parra’s family’s legacy and the brand’s heritage, which dates back to 1913, offering a blend that marries tradition with modern elegance.”
Other celebrities who have lent their backing to rum brands over the years include singers Bruno Mars and Ciara and rapper Lil Wayne. Ciara’s Ten To One rum launched in the UK in 2024 following its success in the US. The R&B singer vowed to help the brand “rewrite the rum narrative” when she announced her involvement and financial investment in 2021.
Related news
Celebrity winemaker creates exclusive range for luxury hotel chain
