We previously reported, and it’s been widely publicized that Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at Sunday night’s 94th Academy Awards. The smack was over a joke that Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Will Smith later went on to win the Best Actor Oscar for his work in the film, King Richard.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released a statement saying that Smith “refused” to leave the ceremony after the slap and outburst. Their statement read, “Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
Smith apologized for the violence in his acceptance speech and on Instagram:
The Academy announced today that it is taking disciplinary proceedings against Will Smith. The Academy will be looking into Smith’s violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct after Sunday night’s altercation.
Their statement stated:
“The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. 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.”
The meeting of the Board of Governors is set for April 18th where they have stated that, “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct,” are on the table for Smith. Smith gets a 15 day notice of the vote and can be heard in a written statement.
Additionally, the Academy apologized to Chris Rock, viewers and the members of the audience saying, “Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”
What repercussions do you think Will Smith should face for this incident at the Academy Awards? Let us know below in the comments.
Source: XL106.7
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