Police Were Prepared to Arrest Will Smith on Oscars Night, Producer Will Packer Says

Packer also told ABC News that he did not speak with Smith on Oscars night.

The LAPD confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Rock “declined to file a police report.”

This interview will mark Packer’s first public comments about the incident that remains a major topic of debate. Shortly after the telecast ended, Packer tweeted, “Welp…I said it wouldn’t be boring #Oscars.”

On Wednesday, the Academy stated that “disciplinary proceedings” against Smith had begun, which could lead to “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.”

In this latest statement, the Academy also said Smith had been asked to leave the show but refused. However, sources close to the situation told The Hollywood Reporter that Smith was not formally asked to leave.

On Sunday, Rock was about to present the Oscar for best documentary when he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that seemingly referenced her shaved head. (She suffers from alopecia.) Smith took to the stage and slapped Rock before apologizing to the Academy a short time later during his best actor acceptance speech, during which he did not mention Rock.

In an Instagram post the following day, the King Richard actor called his actions “unacceptable and inexcusable,” in addition to apologizing to the comedian.

Rock kicked off his stand-up comedy tour Wednesday in Boston, where he began his show by saying he is “still kind of processing what happened.”