Will Smith leaves people traumatised as he pays tribute to his dog from I Am Legend
When he's not slapping the s**t out of Chris Rock or drastically oversharing about his relationship, Will Smith is making people sob by reminding us of what a bloody good dog dad he is.
But it's a bit of a double edged sword for some fans of the actor, 55, as his recent Instagram post paying tribute to his canine co-star in I Am Legend drudged up a lot of emotions for them.
Although Smith might have been the star of the post-apocalyptic thriller, released in 2007, he was upstaged by his loyal German Shepherd, Abbey, who truly won the hearts of viewers.
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Despite all the chaos that unfolds as they're chased by the cannibalistic mutants, the scenes between his character Robert Neville and the adorable pooch are what really resonated with film fans.
Their interactions were often poignant, sometimes funny, and at that moment we all dread, absolutely heartbreaking.
Although Abbey might have been bumped off by movie producers, it didn't kill Smith's affection for her.
In fact, the four-legged film star (who is named Samantha in the flick) is actually the reason the Fresh Prince of Bel Air started liking dogs.
Before filming for I Am Legend began, the actor admitted that he never got too close to pooches.
He told Today: "When I was little, I was probably 9, and I had a dog that got hit by a car.
"So I was like, ‘That’s it! I’m not doing it. I’m not doing that whole, fall in love with dogs thing no more.'"
But when that massive German Shepherd bounded over to him on set, his doubts about dogs quickly melted away.
Smith previously told Dogs Monthly Magazine: "Abbey and I spent a lot of time together. She was big and bouncy, but looked great, and I wanted to get close to her.
"Abbey’s owner and trainer, Steve Berens, patiently introduced us and gave us confidence in each other. That was it!
"I was with her all the time and we became the best of friends. I liked having her around and when the movie production ended, I wanted to keep her. I was no longer nervous of any sort of dog and kind of fell in love with her.
"Steve was also attached to her, though, and so she stayed with him," Smith said. "He did say that we had bonded really well, which was nice to hear.
"It was the end of the movie, but the start of a different approach to dogs for me."
Well, how bloody wholesome is that. No wonder we all loved that dog so much.
Berens previously told LADbible that Abbey 'really knew nothing' when she first walked onto the set for I Am Legend, but she 'learned fast' and took to the role like a duck to water.
He admitted that even he had picked up on their close bond, saying: "I think that she really liked him, and that made a difference.
"I think that's one thing in the film I was very happy with, and very proud of - the relationship was really solid."
So I'm sure you can understand why people were absolutely inconsolable after Smith shared a sweet tribute to Abbey in an Instagram post to celebrate the National Pet Day in the US on Thursday (11 April).
Take a look at this:
He shared a short video montage of clips from their I Am Legend antics - such as her being his absolute ride or die during the film and them posing on the red carpet together at the premiere - alongside the words 'never just a dog'.
Throw in some sad background music and Smith captioning the post 'the goodness girl' and you've got a recipe for a really intense sobbing session.
Social media users flooded the comment section to vent their emotions, while dubbing Abbey the 'best dog on screen'.
One wrote: "The last time I cried at a movie was when Samantha died."
Another said: "I can't rewatch that movie because of that scene."
A third added: "Dude, you made us cry like crazy with her."
A fourth commented: "Best dog on the screen."
While a fifth chimed in: "Samantha. She captured our hearts in your movie."
Those scriptwriters better find a way to bring her back for the I Am Legend sequel pronto.
Topics: Will Smith, Celebrity, Film, Dogs
Olivia Burke