It’s been almost 48 hours since “CODA” made history by winning Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars, but all the entertainment industry can seem to talk about are Will Smith‘s actions during the telecast. Now, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are beginning their investigation. And, in what was described as a shock to the 50 members of the organization’s Board of Governors, AMPAS has revealed that Smith was asked to leave the Dolby Theater and refused.
READ MORE: Oscar co-hosts denounce the Will Smith slap: “It was sickening”
In a statement, AMPAS noted, “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
Following an altercation where Smith got up from his seat and slapped Chris Rock on the stage, four people spoke to him during a number of commercial breaks. Those individuals were Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Bradley Cooper, and Smith’s publicist, Meredith O’Sullivan. It appears the show’s producer, Will Packer, asked O’Sullivan to communicate the Academy’s wanted Smith to leave the building. TMZ is also reporting Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson also asked him to leave through his publicist and got into a “heated exchange” with her backstage.
During today’s emergency session, the Board voted unanimously to conduct disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating the organization’s standards of conduct including, “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.” Califonia state law dictates Smith must be given 15 days of notice of a vote regarding any violations and sanctions. He is also allowed to provide a written response beforehand.
After an initial tweet on Sunday night and a short statement on Monday, today was also the first time the Academy apologized to Rock and to the “nominees, guests and viewers” for what should have been a “celebratory event.”
The Academy’s full statement is as follows:
“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.
Consistent with the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, as well as California law, Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response. At the next board meeting on April 18, the Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.
Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television. 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.
Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
It is unclear how Smith or his camp will handle the situation going further. The Best Actor winner also faces disciplinary action from his union, SAG-AFTRA, who initially seemed even more upset over the incident than the Academy. Smith issued an apologetic Instagram post late Monday afternoon.
The Academy’s actions also were announced after co-hosts Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes revealed their thoughts regarding the incident. Schumer said she was still “sickened” over the event and Sykes, who appears on “Ellen” tomorrow, said, “I physically felt ill, and I’m still a little traumatized by it.”
She also added, “For them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message. You assault somebody, you get escorted out the building and that’s it. For them to let him continue, I thought it was gross. Plus, I wanted to be able to run out after he won and say, ‘Unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight…'”
The third co-host, Regina Hall, has not spoken publicly about the ceremony yet.