Will Smith Refused To Leave Oscars After Slapping Chris Rock—And Could Face Disciplinary Proceedings, Academy Says

Topline

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences asked actor Will Smith to leave the Oscars after he slapped comedian Chris Rock last weekend, but Smith refused, the organization said in a statement Wednesday that announced disciplinary proceedings against the actor.

Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in … [+] Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022.

ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

In its statement, the Academy acknowledged “we could have handled the situation differently.”

The Academy may take steps including suspending, expelling or otherwise sanctioning Smith for violating the organization’s standards of conduct, which prohibit “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.”

The Academy called the incident “a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television,” praising Rock for his self-possessed response to the attack.

The Academy apologized to Rock and to award nominees, guests and viewers for the incident.

The organization’s board of governors next meets April 18, at which point disciplinary action may take place, the Academy said.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at … [+] Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.

Kevin Mazur/VF22/WireImage for Vanity Fair

Key Background

Smith stormed the Oscar stage, slapped Rock and shouted “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth” after the comedian delivered an onstage quip targeting the shaved head of Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, a condition causing hair loss. Smith later gave a tearful acceptance speech after winning a best actor Oscar for his performance in the tennis biopic King Richard, but his speech notably excluded an apology to Rock, and Smith was later seen dancing and celebrating with supportive family and show business associates. The following day, after backlash to Smith’s attack had begun to build, Smith apologized to Rock and the Academy on Instagram, remarking that Rock’s joke “was too much for [him] to bear.” Despite this gesture of contrition, the Academy told its members it was still “upset and outraged” by Smith’s behavior Wednesday afternoon, CNN reported. The Los Angeles Police Department said Rock had declined to file a police report, but noted he still had the option to do so at a later date.

Crucial Quote

“I was sickened by the standing ovation,” Jim Carrey told CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King Tuesday, referring to the response Smith received upon winning the best actor Oscar. “I felt like Hollywood is just spineless, en masse.”

What To Watch For

Expulsion from the Academy is mainly a symbolic gesture, but it could pack a punch given that only a handful of members are known to have been expelled: Actor Carmine Caridi in 2004, producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski in 2018 and cinematographer Adam Kimmel in 2021. More concrete sanctions on Smith could include loss of privileges to attend events like future Oscar awards ceremonies and revocation of previous awards, such as his best actor Oscar for King Richard, Deadline reported.

Tangent

Though ratings for Sunday’s ceremony were up over 6 million viewers—or roughly 60%—from the 2021 Oscars, it remained the second-least-watched Oscars since at least the 1970s, according to the Hollywood Reporter.