Meeting Over Will Smith Oscars Slap Moved Up To Friday, Academy Says

Topline

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences moved its meeting to discuss possible repercussions for Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, to Friday, Variety and Deadline reported Wednesday.

Key Facts

Key Background

During the Oscars on March 27, Smith went up on stage and slapped and yelled at Rock, who made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head while presenting an award. Pinkett Smith has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. Rock declined to file a police report, and Oscars producer Will Packer said Rock did not want Smith to be removed from the ceremony. Smith apologized in the days after the Oscars, saying “a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear.” When he resigned from the Academy on Friday, Smith said he betrayed the organization’s trust, and “will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.” Though Smith resigned, the Academy can still prevent him from attending future award shows and events, or even revoke his Oscar for Best Actor, which Smith won shortly after hitting Rock.

Tangent

The Academy’s board of governors is a more than 50-person body made up of professionals from every film industry discipline, including actors Whoopi Goldberg, Rita Wilson and Laura Dern and directors Ava DuVernay and Stephen Spielberg.

Further Reading

Will Smith Resigns From Academy As It Probes His Slap Of Chris Rock At Oscars (Forbes)

LAPD Was ‘Prepared’ To Immediately Arrest Will Smith After Oscars Slap, Says Producer Will Packer (Forbes)

Will Smith Was Reportedly Not Explicitly Asked To Leave Oscars After Slapping Chris Rock (Forbes)

Oscars Producer Will Packer Says Chris Rock Didn’t Want Will Smith To Be Removed From Ceremony (Forbes)