A Ukrainian man in white got more than he bargained for from Will Smith, the Hollywood star from Men in Black. Namely, a slap on the face. The drama unrolled on the red carpet in Moscow, where Smith arrived to the premiere of Men In Black III movie on May 18. Vitaliy Sediuk, a reporter with 1+1 TV company’s morning show, was in the crowd of journalists and fans greeting the star.
The first brief encounter of the two men was friendly, and even looked like a manly hug, various news agencies reported. But then things took an unexpected turn as Sediuk apparently tried to kiss Smith on the mouth, and the latter reacted by slapping him in the face.
“Hey, man, what the hell is your problem, buddy?” Smith said. After walking a few meters on, he remarked: “He tried to kiss me on my mouth!”
Sediuk has shot to international fame as lifestyle magazines across the globe printed photo and video accounts of the encounter. Sediuk has a history of stunts with stars and making a show of himself. He got close to Madonna in Cannes, and presented her with a hydrangea, telling her she is his princess. The singer, who apparently hates this type of flowers, put it down on the floor.
The Los Angeles Times reported that he sneaked up onKylie MinogueandBill Clinton, that he got Larry King to show him how to wear suspenders, and dressed up as a Disney prince for Kate Middleton’s wedding, among other things.
“This isn’t some naive fan, nor is he a reporter who impulsively jumped the journalistic shark. This is a man with a shtick to get face time with stars and airtime on his TV show,” wrote Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times.
