What Is the Will Smith Crying Meme?
The Will Smith crying meme is a close-up of Will Smith with red, watery eyes and a devastated expression, used as a reaction to heartbreak, betrayal or getting bad news.
Where it came from
It’s a screenshot from the July 10, 2020 episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Facebook Watch show. In that episode, Will and Jada discussed public rumors about their marriage and her relationship with singer August Alsina. A frame of Will looking emotional, eyes glassy, was grabbed and spread everywhere — it quickly became 2020’s version of Crying Jordan.
Will Smith’s own explanation
In October 2020, accepting the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award, Will addressed the meme directly. His explanation:
- He wasn’t actually crying — his eyes were red and watery from drinking too much coffee, which dehydrated him.
- They had filmed the episode around midnight while waiting to catch an early flight, so he was simply exhausted.
- Jada joked they should have reshot the segment.
- Once Will saw how much sympathy the image was getting online, he leaned into the joke.
Why it works
Whether or not real tears were involved, the face perfectly captures the feeling of getting emotionally blindsided — which is exactly why it stuck.
Sources: REVOLT, Know Your Meme.
FAQ
- Where is the Will Smith crying meme from?
- From the July 10, 2020 episode of Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk, where the couple discussed rumors about their marriage.
- Was Will Smith actually crying?
- He said he wasn't. In October 2020 he blamed his watery, red eyes on too much coffee and filming late at night while exhausted.
- Why did it become a meme?
- The raw, teary-eyed close-up was screenshotted and spread as 2020's successor to Crying Jordan — a reaction for heartbreak and betrayal.
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