Will Smith’s Oscars slap condemned by the film academy, investigation launched

Following Sunday night’s stunning altercation at the Oscars, in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, the motion picture academy announced Monday it is conducting a formal review of Smith’s conduct.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,� the organization said. “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 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences enacted a code of conduct for its members in 2017 in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal. “There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency,� the group said at the time. “If any member is found by the Board of Governors to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions, the Board of Governors may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s bylaws, including suspension or expulsion.�

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A joke, a slap, then chaos: How Will Smith’s attack on Chris Rock upended the Oscars

The day after a night of historic wins, everyone’s talking about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars. Here’s how the drama unfolded.

March 28, 2022

The academy called an emergency meeting on Monday morning to address the incident.

Less than an hour after striking Rock, Smith received cheers from many in the Dolby Theatre when he won the lead actor Oscar for “King Richard.� In his emotional speech, the actor apologized to the academy and to his fellow nominees and expressed his hope that the academy would “invite me back.�

Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “King Richard� during the show.

(Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Will Packer, who produced the Academy Awards for the first time this year, also shared his thoughts Monday.

Shortly after the show ended on Sunday, Packer tweeted, “Welp, I said it wouldn’t be boring. #Oscars�

On Monday, in response to a Twitter user who had criticized his initial, glib-sounding response, he tweeted: “Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it. I don’t feel the need to elucidate that for you. But I also don’t mind being transparent and say that this was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.�

Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.