Oscar winner Will Smith spewed a gas on the set of Men in Black that was so pungent it caused the cast and crew to be evacuated for three hours, the film’s director said.
Gastrointestinal experts postulated that the actor likely had an overgrowth of bacteria in his small intestine that caused the excess flatulence described by the film’s director Barry Sonnenfeld, who said, “Will Smith is a farter.”
Sonnenfeld, who also directed the Addams Family films, said Smith seemed embarrassed by his accidental gas leak on set in 1997 while he and co-star Tommy Lee Jones were stuffed into a “hermetically sealed” capsule.
The 56-year-old previously admitted that he is a “gassy” person and his family teased him about it in a roundtable discussion with his children and wife Jada.
Flatulence is harmless, but it can be problematic in social situations. It’s a normal function of healthy digestion and, except for embarrassing occasions in public, it’s usually nothing to worry about.
Excess gas could come from certain foods that are difficult to digest and could indicate irritable bowel syndrome, an imbalance of intestinal bacteria, or even an allergy.
The film’s director revealed that Will Smith, pictured in 1997’s Men in Black, had passed gases so pungent that the studio had to be evacuated for three hours.
As the director recalls, the incident took place when Smith and his co-star Tommy Lee Jones were in a transforming car that required them to be “hermetically sealed” in a capsule.
According to Sonnenfeld, Mr. Smith’s gas was so pungent that the cast and crew were forced to evacuate the area until the stench went away.
He said: ‘We evacuated the scene for about three hours. And that’s incredible. No, he’s, you know, a lovely guy. He just farts.
Excessively smelly flatulence may be due to an imbalance in intestinal bacteria that can produce sulfur-containing gases, which are responsible for the strong odor.
When the bacteria that populate the intestine 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 are stored in the large intestine, commonly known as the intestine. The small intestine usually has a smaller population of bacteria.
It is normal to have bacteria living in the small intestine, although too much can overwhelm the good bacteria and cause digestive problems.
Los Angeles-based internal medicine doctor Dr Shilpa Sayana told DailyMail.com: “I think his pungent gas was probably SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) with a predominance of hydrogen sulfide, which is a very commonly underdiagnosed medical condition with some easy solutions to fix.
“Treatments range from antibiotics, supplements, dietary changes, and evaluation for 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 Smith revealed on a 2019 episode of Red Table Talk that he suffers from frequent constipation and said he can go three days without a bowel movement.
His son Jaden responded: ‘That’s not good. And that’s why your farts smell like that.
Then, when her mother-in-law mentioned that she was “gassy all the time,” Smith agreed, adding, “I like being gassy.”
While the body’s bacterial composition plays an important role in digestion and gas, the foods we eat are also a factor that gives gas its distinctive odor.
Foods high in sulfur can cause smellier flatulence because intestinal bacteria break down the sulfur-containing compounds in these foods, producing hydrogen sulfide gas, which has a distinct rotten egg odor.
Will Smith, pictured in 2017, has admitted in the past to being a gassy person, but 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 does not process fructose properly, it can cause stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and harmful gas.
Smith’s wife, Jada, mentioned his diet at the dinner table as a contributing factor.
She said, ‘If you’re going to have broccoli and then ice cream? Chocolate cake and an apple? That’s why it smells the way it smells.
Dr. Sheila Walker-Carroll, a Dallas-based holistic practitioner, said undigested foods can ferment in the intestines, resulting in the production of particularly unpleasant-smelling gas.
He added that not drinking enough water could make the problem worse: “Insufficient water intake can affect digestion and lead to constipation, which can exacerbate gas problems.”
Excessive flatulence could also indicate irritable bowel syndrome, which causes disturbances in intestinal function, including altered motility, which traps gas and causes 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 in the intestine can cause increased gas as bacteria metabolize nutrients.”
Dr Walker-Carroll added: “Intolerances (such as lactose or gluten) can cause gas when the body struggles to break down certain foods.”