Will Smith -- Hitler, Schmitler; He Wasn't That Bad

UPDATE: Will Smith's rep sent TMZ the following statement from him, which reads: "It is an awful and disgusting lie. It speaks to the dangerous power of an ignorant person with a pen. I am incensed and infuriated to have to respond to such ludicrous misinterpretation. Adolph Hitler was a vile, heinous, vicious killer responsible for one of the greatest acts of evil committed on this planet."

On the day before Christmas, a leading Jewish group is kvetching loudly about Will Smith's recent suggestion that Adolf Hitler wasn't all bad, calling it "ignorant, detestable, and offensive." Oy.

The Jewish Defense League is calling on Barack Obama to repudiate Smith's comments, and wants theaters to pull Smith's new flick "I Am Legend" from their screens. Smith told a Scottish paper that Hitler "didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' ... I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good.'" What kind of meshuggeneh talk is that?!

Smith's words, say the JDL, "spit on the memory of every person murdered by the Nazis. His disgusting words stick a knife in the backs of every veteran who fought (and sometimes died) to save the world from the intentions of Adolf Hitler."



Tags: Will Smith, WillSmith

Reader Comments

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61. he probly didnt mean it like that. hitler is of course "bad" but there are other dictators that did terrible things that are on a different level than hitler. stalin killed millions of his own people...saddam used biological weapons on iraqis that were from a different muslim sect.

Posted at 2:05PM on Dec 24th 2007 by jonboy

62. Read what he actually said before getting upset! He never said what Hitler did was good, he said Hitler may have thought he was doing the right thing - plenty of horrible psycho killers think they are doing the "right" thing.

BTW, I'm Jewish. JDL is just an easily offended crybaby group.

Posted at 2:50PM on Dec 24th 2007 by gabie

63. If Hitler is not that bad, I would like to know who Will Smith thinks is really bad. What a moronic comment to make for someone who is in the public eye. I suppose he thinks Bin Laden is bad either. Maybe Will should have a couple of drinks with Mel Gibson and talk about their ignorance and stupidity. Happy Hanuka Will!

Posted at 2:30PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Mark Schlig

64. To all the people advising the people condemning Will to "actually read" what he said - YA, we all get it geniuses! We DID READ IT! GEEZ! We realize he is not "actually saying" Hitler was a great guy! WE GET IT! GEEZ, idiots! What he said is still offensive. Will I boycott his movie because of it? No! Was I going to see it anyway - NO! I think he's a bad actor. I will not be going anyway....

Posted at 2:09PM on Dec 24th 2007 by duh

65. WILL THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT FUNNY!

Posted at 2:19PM on Dec 24th 2007 by reese

66. Next time some black goes off on me about their slavery or AIDS or whatever, I'm going to remember what this particular boy said about my people - the Jews (my wife is Korean).

Posted at 2:11PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Hal R Hosfeld

67. i don't think what Smith said was that bad, just misinterpreted. It is true though that if a white celebritiy made comments about slaves owners not being bad and just doing what they thought was right, jesse jackson and al sharpton would be at their house protesting already, talk about a double standard.

Posted at 2:12PM on Dec 24th 2007 by jamal

68. I thought Hitler's thinking became 'bent' and dysfunctional when as an avid painter, he couldn't get into his art school of choice, amongst other warping life events. I think Smith meant that within Hitler's dysfunctiional mind, Hitler dysfunctionally but deludedly thought that what he was doing was right? No one in their right minds can think that Smith actually thinks that Hitler thought he was doing what was right. Just a case of foot in mouth. Let Will clarify, and then let it be.

Posted at 2:11PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Willy Nilly

69. Say what you're scripted to say and don't ad lib, moron.

Posted at 2:15PM on Dec 24th 2007 by SAM

70. he didn't say he was a great man he said hitler probaly thought he was right. even though we all know he wasn't you me will smith. there are people out there who might one day be compared to hitler. but they seem ok like they are doing what they think is right. hitler teaches us a lesson in what 1 persons iseas spread across a nation can do. what a few years and see how you like g bush

Posted at 6:53AM on Dec 25th 2007 by bulldog

71. So TMZ 's one sided reporting Is all it really takes for you idiots to call for a lynching?!!!
This racist world is really going to hell in a hand basket!!! Will, making over 76 million in one week-end must have really gotten UNDER Harvey's @#$%# skin.

Posted at 2:14PM on Dec 24th 2007 by meager

72. Wow I can't believe some of the comments I'm seeing. I don't think half the people hear have read or understood the comments made by Will, nowhere has he said Hilter was a stand up guy, he is mearly stating that Hilter thought what he was doing was "good" and if anyone has read anything on Hilter will know this to be true. Hilter thought what he did was "right" even though it was the furthest thing from it. Everyone needs to relax and go watch I am Legend. Great movie!

Posted at 2:16PM on Dec 24th 2007 by 214

73. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH WHAT HE SAID??!!! He didn't praise Hitler or condone what he did! He said that in Hitler's MIND he probably thought he was doing good, which is probably TRUE!!! People will complain about and twist ANYTHING. Get a FREAKIN' LIFE!!!!

Posted at 2:16PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Cecilia

74. Isn't it amazing that blacks can say whatever they want to against another race, culture, religion etc. and nothing is done??? Where's Al and Jesse demanding an apology to the Jewish community? Don't they claim to want fairness and respect for all - that's why they open their mouths with such anger?? I hope the Jewish community kicks Will's ass.....they probably have too much class for that though.

Posted at 2:16PM on Dec 24th 2007 by jf

75. Too many simpleton's chiming in here. This has everything to do with low IQ Smith - emotional & spiritual & political low IQ - & his academics are low class.

Hitler embraced evil early & often - occult - satanic & every perverse edge he could assume to gain power. Smith-Hitler is being neoliberal if he thinks he can rewrite history like an Al Gore clone & somehow spin Hitler into a seeker of "good" - but woops he was evil - oh sorry - the racist prince of bel air.

Posted at 2:16PM on Dec 24th 2007 by Jon

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