Oscar winner Will Smith passed gas on the Men in Black set that was so pungent it caused an evacuation of the cast and crew for three hours, the movie’s director said.
Gastrointestinal experts posited the actor likely had an overgrowth of bacteria in his small intestine that led to the excess flatulence described by the movie’s director Barry Sonnenfeld, who said: ‘Will Smith is a farter.’
Mr Sonnenfeld, who also directed the Addams Family films, said Mr Smith seemed embarrassed by his accidental passing of gas on set in 1997 while he and co-star Tommy Lee Jones were stuffed in a ‘hermetically sealed’ pod.
The 56-year-old has previously admitted he is a ‘gassy’ person and his family poked fun at him about it in a roundtable discussion with his children and wife Jada.
Flatulence is harmless, but can be problematic in social situations. It is a normal function of healthy digestion and, except for occasional public embarrassment, is typically nothing to worry about.
Excessive gas could come from certain foods that are hard to digest and could indicate irritable bowel syndrome, a gut bacteria imbalance, or even an allergy.
Will Smith, pictured in 1997’s Men in Black, was revealed by the film’s director to have passed gas that was so pungent they had to evacuate the studio for three hours
Per the director’s recollection, the incident took place when Smith and co-star Tommy Lee Jones were in a transforming car that required them to be ‘hermetically sealed’ in a pod
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According to Mr Sonnenfeld, Mr Smith’s gas was so pungent, cast and crew were forced to evacuate the area until the stench cleared.
He said: ‘We evacuated the stage for about three hours. And that’s incredible. No, he’s, you know, a lovely guy. Just, he farts.’
Excessively smelly flatulence can result from an imbalance in gut bacteria that can produce sulfur-containing gases, which are responsible for the strong odor.
When the bacteria that populate the gut are out of balance, harmful bacteria can overgrow and produce more smelly byproducts as they break down undigested food.
Most of the human bacteria in the body is stored in the large intestine, commonly referred to as the gut. The small intestine typically has a smaller population of bacteria.
It’s normal to have bacteria living in the small intestine, though too much can overwhelm the good bacteria and cause digestive problems.
Dr Shilpa Sayana, an internal medicine physician based in Los Angeles, told DailyMail.com: ‘I would think his pungent gas was likely Hydrogen Sulfide Dominant SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), which is a very commonly under-diagnosed medical condition with some easy fixable solutions.
‘Treatments vary from antibiotics, supplements, diet changes and evaluating the root causes such as recent food poisoning, chronic stress, and toxin exposure.’
The average healthy person has one or two bowel movements a day, but Mr Smith revealed in a 2019 episode of Red Table Talk that he deals with frequent constipation, saying he can go three days without a bowel movement.
His son Jaden responded: ‘That is not good. And that’s why your farts smell like that.’
Then, when his mother-in-law mentioned she is ‘gassy all the time,’ Smith agreed and added, ‘I like being gassy.’
While the body’s bacteria makeup plays a major role in digestion and gas, the food we eat is also a factor in what gives gas its distinctive odor.
Sulfur-rich foods can lead to smellier flatulence because gut bacteria break down sulfur-containing compounds in these foods, producing hydrogen sulfide gas, which has a distinctive rotten-egg smell.
Will Smith, pictured in 2017, has admitted in the past to being a gassy person, but he said it doesn’t bother him
Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, as well as garlic and onions, meat and eggs, and certain types of beans contain sulfur.
Milk and other dairy products can also cause gas, as can some fruits high in fructose, a type of sugar. When the digestive system doesn’t process fructose properly, it can lead to stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and bad gas.
Smith’s wife, Jada, mentioned his diet around the table as a contributing factor.
She said: ‘If you’re going to eat broccoli and then ice cream? Chocolate cake and an apple? That’s why he smells the way he does.’
Dr Sheila Walker-Carroll, a holistic practitioner based in Dallas, said undigested food may ferment in the intestines, resulting in the production of gases with a particularly unpleasant odor.
She added not getting enough water could be making the problem worse: ‘Insufficient water intake can affect digestion and lead to constipation, which can exacerbate gas issues.’
Excessive flatulence could also indicate irritable bowel syndrome, which causes disruptions in intestinal function, including altered motility, which traps gas and leads to bloating.
Certain allergies can also cause excessive and especially smelly gas.
Dr David Clarke, a gastroenterologist in Oregon, said: ‘Diseases (such as Celiac disease) that cause reduced absorption of nutrients from the gut can lead to increased gas as the nutrients are metabolized by bacteria.
Dr Walker-Carroll added: ‘Intolerances (like lactose or gluten) can lead to gas as the body struggles to break down certain foods.’
