The Truth Show BLOG

Soon after the bust, Will left for Hollywood to star in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” costarring Alfonso Ribeiro and Daphne Reid

TARNISHED star Will Smith’s shocking assault of Chris Rock at the Oscars was the slap heard around Hollywood but the incident also echoes a dark past linking the actor to a murderous drug gang and child kidnapping! “It’s a case of ‘You can take Will Smith out of the hood, but you can never fully take the hood out of Will Smith!’” says a Tinseltown insider.

Will, 53, admits ties to Philadelphia’s once notorious Junior Black Mafia (JBM) and befriending one of the gang’s top lieutenants, Leroy “Bucky” Davis.

According to law enforcement, the gang terrorized Will’s home city at the height of the crack epidemic in the 1980s before disbanding in the next decade. And the vicious thugs were quick to help Smith after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting record promoter William Hendricks in 1989, says the music man’s son Sheldon.

After the assault — which caused a facial fracture, sixstitch gash and nearly blinded William — Sheldon says he was offered a ride home by a JBM member he knew.

In a world exclusive, Sheldon tells The National ENQUIRER the gangbanger “kidnapped me,” adding, “He locked all of doors and said, ‘You know there’s money on your head. I can’t let you go home.’”

At first, Sheldon recalls, he panicked, “banging on the door” and begging to be let out. But he was held captive until later that night, when he was inexplicably set free. “Thankfully he didn’t do whatever he was contemplating on doing,” recalls Sheldon.

His shaken father had apparently received a message from the gang they had his 13-year-old son. Subsequently, criminal charges accusing Smith of aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person were all dropped. Sheldon is sure the reason came down to his father withdrawing cooperation with law enforcement.

While there is no suggestion Will personally knew about JBM kidnapping his accuser’s son, an ex-gang member notes it was typical thug tactics of the time — especially since Will had just won a Grammy for “Parents Just Don’t Understand” with DJ Jazzy Jeff.

“I’m quite sure the muscles put down because there was a lot of money involved with Will Smith,” explains the former hoodlum, Hakim Bryant, who now hosts the “Philly Trenches” show on YouTube. “I guess they knew he was going to have hits. Will had people around to approach those that threatened him.”

The son of one JBM cofounder, who identifies as “Philly the Boss,” tells The ENQUIRER the mindset of the gang was “if you’re a friend, nothing bad will happen while me and my friends are around.”

Sheldon claims Will paid his dad $25,000 to keep silent, a promise he has kept until this day, turning down interview opportunities and cash offers for his story.

When approached for this article, the elder Hendricks did not deny any of its details but declined to comment further. Will admits his connection to the JBM in his 2021 memoir, writing “When you’re a twentyyear-old rapper from the inner city of Philadelphia who’s just made his first million dollars, the only people who can afford to hang with you are other rappers, professional athletes, or drug dealers. I picked drug dealers.”

The actor even said his JBM buddy Bucky — who was later shot dead during gang warfare — once told him: “Hey! If anybody ever f**k wit’ you, they got a problem with me.”

Sheldon — who has also served time in prison — says he could see why gang members liked hanging around a rap star like Will.

“Will wasn’t an official member, just an affiliate because he was getting a lot of money and exposure,” says Sheldon.

“It worked for them because they could go to shows and it worked for him because if he needed some muscle, he’s got these guys.

“This is what they do. They sold drugs and murdered people.”

Soon after the altercation, Will left for Hollywood to star in “The Fresh Prince of BelAir” and left his gangsta pals behind.

That said, Hakim says urban legend among the JBM is that Will coughed up $600,000 to leave on good terms.

Says Sheldon: “That money was like a ‘thank you’ to them.”