Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after the slap. Academy vows consequences

On Wednesday, three days after a stunning altercation on the 94th Academy Awards ceremony during which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his spouse, the movement image academy introduced that it was initiating disciplinary proceedings in opposition to Smith and mentioned that Smith — who went on to win the lead actor prize later that night time — had been requested to depart the Oscars after the incident however had refused.

“The Board of Governors as we speak initiated disciplinary proceedings in opposition to Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Requirements of Conduct, together with inappropriate bodily contact, abusive or threatening conduct and compromising the integrity of the Academy,” the group mentioned in an announcement.

The academy mentioned the disciplinary motion — “which can embrace suspension, expulsion or different sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Requirements of Conduct — could be voted on by the group’s 54-member board of governors, which incorporates such notables as Steven Spielberg, Ava DuVernay and Laura Dern, at a gathering on April 18.

Going through criticism over its dealing with of the incident, which upended the Oscars and shocked hundreds of thousands of viewers, the group mentioned Smith had been requested to depart the ceremony after placing Rock however that he had refused.

Lower than an hour after the incident, Smith received the lead actor award for his work on the movie “King Richard,” incomes a standing ovation and cheers from lots of his friends within the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

“Issues unfolded in a means we couldn’t have anticipated,” the group mentioned in its assertion. “Whereas we wish to make clear that Mr. Smith was requested to depart the ceremony and refused, we additionally acknowledge we might have dealt with the scenario otherwise.”

Representatives for Smith — who issued an apology for the incident Monday — didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the academy’s assertion. The academy didn’t instantly reply to a request for additional particulars on what transpired among the many group, Smith and his publicist that night time.

Because the stunning eruption of violence in Sunday’s ceremony, the academy has been underneath rising stress, together with from its personal members, to carry Smith accountable, creating an unprecedented disaster for the already problem-plagued group. On Monday, the group condemned Smith’s conduct and mentioned it was conducting a proper evaluate.

In its assertion Wednesday, the group went additional in blasting the actor’s conduct — and in addition prolonged an apology to Rock, who had not spoken publicly in regards to the incident till he took the stage to carry out a comedy present in Boston on Wednesday night time, the place he reportedly obtained a chronic standing ovation.

In an audio recording launched on-line by the commerce publication Selection, Rock may be heard saying, “How was your weekend?” to a rousing response. However he wasn’t in a temper to say extra, noting that his materials had already been written. “I’m nonetheless type of processing what occurred … in some unspecified time in the future, I’ll discuss that s—. And will probably be critical and humorous.”

“Mr. Smith’s actions on the 94th Oscars had been a deeply stunning, traumatic occasion to witness in-person and on tv,” the academy mentioned. “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you skilled on our stage and thanks to your resilience in that second. We additionally apologize to our nominees, visitors and viewers for what transpired throughout what ought to have been a celebratory occasion.”

Two of the present’s co-hosts, comedians Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, additionally supplied their reactions to the incident on Wednesday. On Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime speak present, Sykes mentioned she “felt so terrible for my pal Chris, and it was sickening. I bodily felt unwell, and I’m nonetheless a little bit traumatized by it.”

Sykes additionally criticized the choice to permit Smith to stay within the theater and settle for his Oscar. “For them to let him keep in that room and revel in the remainder of the present and settle for his award, I used to be like, ‘How gross is that this? That is simply the unsuitable message,’” she mentioned. “You assault any person, you get escorted out the constructing and that’s it. For them to let him proceed, I assumed it was gross. Plus, I needed to have the ability to run out after he received and say, ‘Sadly, Will couldn’t be right here tonight…’”

In an Instagram put up Wednesday, Schumer wrote: “Nonetheless triggered and traumatized. I really like my pal @chrisrock and consider he dealt with it like a professional. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his pal @questlove [Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, for the feature documentary “Summer of Soul”] and the entire thing was so disturbing.”

It’s unclear what disciplinary motion the group might finally take in opposition to one of many business’s largest and most usually well-liked stars. On Monday, Whoopi Goldberg, an academy governor, mentioned categorically on the daytime speak present “The View”: “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him.”

However the determination could be as much as the board. Since adopting a code of conduct in 2017, the academy has ejected solely three members: producer Harvey Weinstein, director Roman Polanski and comedian-author Invoice Cosby.

Some have speculated that Smith’s membership may very well be suspended for a sure time frame or that the actor — who has a movie popping out later this 12 months from Apple known as “Emancipation” — may very well be barred from presenting on the awards. (It’s customary for the earlier 12 months’s lead actor winner to current the lead actress trophy, as Anthony Hopkins did to Jessica Chastain this 12 months.)

However regardless of the determination, insiders say the final word decision might take three weeks. The group plans to rigorously comply with the procedures specified by its bylaws and requirements of conduct. (In 2019, Polanski filed a lawsuit in opposition to the academy, alleging that it had not adopted its personal protocols in expelling him, however finally misplaced the go well with.)

Accepting his award Sunday in a tearful, almost six-minute speech, Smith apologized to the academy and his fellow nominees — however not Rock. The actor concluded along with his hope that the academy would “invite me again.”