Will Smith refused to leave Academy Awards ceremony
LOS ANGELES: Will Smith refused to leave the Oscars ceremony after attacking comedian Chris Rock, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed on Wednesday, as it began disciplinary action against the mega star.
Smith could face expulsion from the Academy for the openhanded slap, which came moments before he was handed the best actor award for his role in “King Richard” — an announcement greeted with cheers by the audience.
“While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently,” a statement said. “The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Will Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior,
and compromising the integrity of the Academy. Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response.” The group is under intense pressure to respond appropriately to the slap, which has dominated coverage of the glitzy awards and taken the spotlight from notable firsts — including for the mainly deaf cast of “CODA,” who won best picture. Expulsion is rare, but not unheard of: Harvey Weinstein was kicked out in 2017 after reports emerged of decades of sexual assault. Director Roman Polanski was expelled in 2019 after years of controversy about his 1978 conviction for the rape of a 13-year-old girl.
Neither man was stripped of their Oscars. Oscars’ co-host Wanda Sykes revealed on Wednesday she thought Smith should have been ejected. “I’m still a little traumatized by it,” she told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.