An interesting new installment has developed in the Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars fiasco. Will was reportedly asked to leave by David Rubin, the President of the Academy, and Dawn Hudson, the CEO, according to TMZ. at the ceremony just after the slap had happened, as per Variety. However, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star refused to leave. He then went on to accept the award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard. Regardless of whether they tried to get him to leave or not, the Academy acknowledges they could’ve handled the situation differently.
This comes as the Academy is reviewing Will’s behavior and based on their finding so far, Will could face “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted.” The Academy has now apologized to Chris Rock for allowing the misconduct to happen. During his acceptance speech, Will apologized to the Academy for his outburst but didn’t address Chris at the time.
Since then, Will has issued a public apology on his social media. “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” he continued. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
He also addressed the Everybody Hates Chris star, writing, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris,” he added. “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.”
For those who didn’t witness “the slap heard around the world,” it happened as Chris was presenting at the Oscars. He cracked a joke about Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her to GI Jane due to her bald head. However, Jada has spoken publicly about how she has shaved her head after she was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease alopecia. Celebs and viewers alike have weighed in with differing and extremely split opinions on the slap but ultimately, it’s up to the Academy to decide Will Smith’s fate.