The Academy is taking that slap seriously. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement later on Monday (March 28), in which it condemned Will Smith‘s attack on Chris Rock during the Oscars 2022 live telecast Sunday night.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the Academy told Billboard in a statement. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
The incident began as Rock, who was presenting the award for best documentary feature, made a few jokes about the A-listers in attendance. He poked fun at Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz being nominated on the same night, made fun of Denzel Washington saying“King Lear ain’t got nothing on me,” before taking aim at Jada Pinkett Smith, the King Richard star’s wife. The comedian looked over at the actress and said, “Jada, I love you, G.I Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” seemingly making a joke about her bald head. Pinkett Smith has been open about her battle against alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
Though Smith initially laughed at the joke, Pinkett Smith was clearly unamused. The actor quickly made his way to the stage, where he slapped Rock. The comedian was quick to recover, and said, “Will Smith just smacked the s–t out of me.” That prompted the actor, who was already back in his seat, to demand that the presenter “keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth.”
Less than an hour later, Smith won the best actor trophy for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard. During his emotional acceptance speech, the star apologized to the Academy for the incident, but not to the comedian.
After the show, the Academy issued a brief statement regarding the incident on Twitter. “The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” it tweeted, before redirecting the conversation back to the night’s winners.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, members of the Academy are convening for an emergency call over the incident. The publication reported that some type of sanction is likely to come, and may be in the form of suspending his membership in the Academy.
