Will Smith has gone viral, but not in a good way. 

The actor, 54, was planning on surprising an audience who had just watched his film, Emancipation, but ended up testing positive for Covid, sharing a video to show how he took a Covid test prior to the appearance. 

Will seemed to take the news well, writing a lighthearted ‘I went viral’ next to the video on social media. 

Viral: Will Smith used a lighthearted play on words saying ‘I went viral’ as the actor revealed he tested positive for Covid-19

Will Smith backs out of event after testing positive for COVID

Participants at screenings are often required to show negative results before they can attend an event.

The action star showed no signs of illness, but bellowed out exaggerated screams of pain as swirled the test swab around his nasal passages, and was shocked when one hour later, he received a positive result. 

Instead of speaking to the audience in person, the Oscar winner met with them via Zoom, as he sat in front of a laptop. 

Surprise: The actor was hoping to surprise an audience who had just watched his new film, Emancipation, but was unable to attend 

No signs: The action star showed no signs of illness, and was shocked when one hour later, he received a positive result

Zoom: Instead of speaking to the audience in person, the Oscar winner met with them via Zoom, as he sat in front of a laptop. ‘I tested positive,’ he explained

Highly anticipated trailer for Emancipation stars Will Smith

‘I tested positive,’ he explained, ‘I made them do it again and again, so I’m definitely positive.’ 

Power Book II: Ghost actor Lovell Adams-Gray wrote in the comments:, ‘Get this man some soup!’

In Emancipation, Will took on a tough role as an enslaved man who escapes from bondage and must rely on his wits and faith as he is hunted down through the swamps of Louisiana by his enslavers. 

Tough role: Will took on a tough role in Emancipation as an enslaved man who escapes from bondage and must rely on his wits and faith as he is hunted down through the swamps of Louisiana by his enslavers

The film was inspired by photos released in 1863 that showed the mutilated back of a Black man who had been cruelly whipped by his enslavers, and helped increase opposition to slavery during the US Civil War.  The film will be released in theaters December 2 and stream on Apple TV+ beginning December 9.

The project is the actor’s first film to be released since the infamous incident at the Oscars where he slapped host Chris Rock for cracking a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. 

The actress suffers from alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. 

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at Oscars after joke about Jada

Controversy: The project is the actor’s first film to be released since the infamous incident at the Oscars where he slapped host Chris Rock for cracking a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith