Will Smith was asked to leave the Oscars and denied after slapping Chris Rock, the Academy Board of Governors says

Will Smith has been “required to leave” the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock on stage but did not budge, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Wednesday.

The Academy made the revelation as part of a statement announcing that it is initiating “disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violating the Academy’s Standards of Conduct” for slapping Rock in the face during the Academy Awards ceremony. Sunday evening.

“Things turned out in a way that we could not have foreseen,” the statement read. “While we would like to clarify that Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and declined, we also recognize that we could have handled the situation differently.”

Smith stayed in the audience after the incident and went on to win Best Actor 40 minutes later, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and giving a tearful speech in which he told the school institute and other nominees that he is sorry but not apologetic to Rock .

The Academy, which oversees the Oscars, on Wednesday said Smith’s violations included “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior and compromising the integrity of the Academy.” hospital.”

Smith walked on stage and hit Rock during Sunday night’s Oscars telecast after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzz cutting. Pinkett Smith, who is married to Smith, has publicly said that she keeps her hair short because she has alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss.

When he returned to his seat, Smith shouted at Rock, “Get my wife’s name out of your mouth.”

Rock, who has not commented on the confrontation, denied the allegation. Smith later apologized on social media.

Smith posted on Instagram: “Violence in all its forms is toxic and destructive. “My behavior at the Oscars last night was unacceptable and inexcusable.”

The backlash soon began. Opinions are mostly divided into mediums, with a large portion of the American public siding with Smith, according to one poll. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter After the ceremony, many members of the academy said they felt Smith’s membership should be suspended. No one thinks Smith should be invited back in 2023 to present the Best Actress award, an honor traditionally given to last year’s Best Actor winner.

Roger Ross Williams, governor of the academy’s documentary branch, told CHEAP: “I’m really upset. I was in tears after what happened. It reinforces stereotypes about Black people, and it just makes me miserable because this is what some people want to see. Do it somewhere else, not on stage. “

Cast member Rutanya Alda said she wished she hadn’t voted for Smith to win best actor.

“Someone else should have taken his award,” she told the outlet. “Why did he get a pass?”

Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish looks at the incident quite differently.

“When I see a Black man standing up for his wife, it means a lot to me,” she said. Weekly entertainment.

Others say Smith’s indignation is understandable, though not behavior to emulate.

And former Academy President Sid Ganis said the whole situation was handled by Smith and Rock themselves, not the academy or anyone else.

The two academy executives who asked Smith to leave were identified by TMZ as CEO Dawn Hudson and President David Rubin.

Some have called for the cancellation of Smith’s Oscars. However, like CHEAP note, even Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski, both of whom have been convicted of serious sex crimes, were not forced to hand over their awards.

Smith will have some time to respond. At its next board meeting, to take place on April 18, the academy “may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctioned sanctions.” by the Code and Standards of Conduct,” the statement said.