Courtesy | Walmart

While doing press in Moscow last week to promote “Men in Black 3,” actor Will Smith slapped a reporter from Ukrainian television channel 1+1. Smith got upset when the reporter tried to kiss him on the mouth.

As with anything a celebrity of Smith’s stature does, the story got thrown around the world. Most outlets reported it with shock that Mr. Nice Guy could snap like that, which is troubling. But the commenters on the various posts around the web went crazy claiming that Smith was a homophobe. Towerload has a great write up about the public’s reactions.

The crux of the homophobia cry was that Smith slapped the reporter. People wondered if that “violent” reaction happened because the reporter was male. They also questioned if this slip gave a glimpse into the darkest, angriest and most homophobic reaches of his soul.  I, of course, find issue with this idea; Smith’s reaction was not violent, not a slip and not homophobic.