The Academy Says It Asked Will Smith To Leave The Oscars, Has Initiated Disciplinary Proceedings

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards over a joke the latter made about Jada Pinkett Smith remains the talk of the town. Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for what happened during his speech when accepting the Academy Award for Best Actor for his King Richard performance, and he formally apologized to Rock the day after on social media. Nevertheless, the Academy decided to launch a formal review into the incident, and we’ve now learned that not only was Smith asked to leave after it unfolded, the organization’s members have now initiated disciplinary proceedings against the actor.

Starting off, at the end of an official statement shared to THR and other outlets, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said that the scuffle between Will Smith and Chris Rock “unfolded in a way” they could not have “anticipated.” The Academy then clarified that Smith was asked to leave the Oscars ceremony soon after, but he refused. In hindsight, the group’s members recognize that they “could have handled the situation differently.”