Will Smith Resigns From Academy After Oscars Slap: ‘I Am Heartbroken’
On Friday, amid the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ ongoing inquiry into Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars, Smith announced that he is officially resigning from the Academy.
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” Smith begins the statement. “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.
He continues, “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
With this resignation, Smith — who won his first Oscar for Best Actor in King Richard on Sunday — can no longer vote in future Academy Awards. That said, he can still be nominated and attend ceremonies, and he will (at the present time) keep his award.
In response to Smith’s resignation, David Rubin, President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, released the following statement:
“We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
The “formal review” of Sunday’s incident at the 94th Academy Awards could take weeks, representatives say, and time will tell if further action will take place.
Smith’s resignation comes after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Board of Governors had given him 15 days from March 30 for a response following their meeting about his behavior at the Oscars on March 27. The Board would have made a decision, which could have involved expulsion or a suspension, on April 18.
During the broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards, Rock started with a few jokes, which had been ad-libs. That included a remark about Pinkett Smith and G.I. Jane 2 (her shaved head is because she has alopecia). Smith then walked up to the stage and slapped Rock. “Keep my wife’s name outta your f**king mouth!” Smith yelled at him after from his seat.
Smith issued an apology on Instagram on March 28, writing in part, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”
Stay tuned as this story is developing.
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That arrogant smirk on Will's face when he turned around from the slap and walked off the stage... it overshadows anything he has to say thereafter. He's permanently on mute from now on.
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C
While I believe Will Smith was in the wrong, I personally think all of the "celebrities" who belong to the Academy should resign and start doing their jobs without trying to preach to their fans. Keep politics out of entertainment!
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So would that include anyone who, say, agrees with a certain politician who picks any policy you agree with as opposed to the opposing politician who picks one you don't agree with?
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See Gulliver's Travels re: Big Enders vs Little Enders. No matter what, human nature doesn't change.
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L
Wow. Hope he has 20-20 Hindsight and learns from this kerfuffle!
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Chris Rock showed dignity and professionalism from the moment Will advanced, so much that had Will not further aggressed from his seat, they would have bleeped Chris's reaction, and the whole world would have thought it was a bit.
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Then he compounded it all by NOT taking the opportunity, when given, to immediately apologize, and instead deliberately left Chris out of his ridiculous speech about being a "vessel of love," something he certainly had NOT been earlier that night. Instead, his kid tweets "That's how we roll," am he's photographed out dancing to his own song while caressing his statue.
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NEXT, he waits a FULL BUSINESS DAY before having his team issue an apology via Social Media it apparently took them about 12 hours to write, and doesn't make any attempt to reach out to Rock personally AT ALL. Meanwhile, the whole world is talking about how the cops immediately wanted to file charges, but Chris refused to participate and stressed he did not want charges filed. The Academy and other members start discussing the incident, and most talk about how egregious Will's behavior was. Will's not even looking good in any of the memes.
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And I'd be surprised if any member of his team has a full head of hair anymore, especially his PR team, after pulling it out for days while Will only sits back and makes it worse,
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Being contrite is about the best move left. And only.
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Chris was definitely the bigger man!
Dealing with a BULLY seems to become acceptable in our society.
Actors should be held to a higher standard.
Where are the positive role models our children want to emulate?
Bullying is unacceptable on ALL levels!
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O
Chris Rock overstepped HIS boundaries by referencing a medical condition of Will Smith's wife. Sorry...he deserved the slap but maybe not the cussing out afterward.
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You're not seeing the "industry side" of it. I grew up around those types: the producers, the agents, the PR people, etc. Is there any workplace in America where there'd be no consequences for decking a co-worker at an industry event simply because he insulted you? Let alone on a Live Network Broadcast that has certain FCC Standards that must be adhered to at all times, something you are well aware of because of the TV show that made you famous. This is not a playground spat; it occurred in the workplace. Then you have the Academy Code of Conduct to factor in. When you look at it that way, you can see why this was Will's only path left.
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He wasn't aware she had the medical condition, he thought it was a style choice. I wonder which publicist wrote Will's contrition speech.
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Comics get away with a lot of things; it's too bad he used her name.
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It’s a condition (that she will eventually recover from), not a disease.
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