Will Smith resigned from the Motion Picture Academy on Friday following Chris Rock’s Oscar night slap and said he would accept any further penalties imposed by the organization.
Will Smith resigned from the Motion Picture Academy on Friday following Chris Rock’s Oscar night slap and said he would accept any further penalties imposed by the organization.
Will Smith resigned from the Motion Picture Academy on Friday Chris Rock’s Oscar Night Slap and said he would accept any further punishment The organization put
Smith said in a statement Friday afternoon that he “will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the presentation of the 94th Academy Awards were shocking, painful and unforgivable.”
Film Academy President David Rubin said Smith’s resignation had been accepted. “Our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for breaches of the Academy’s standards of conduct will continue before our next board meeting on April 18.”
Smith loses voting privileges with his resignation. But being part of the Academy, Hollywood’s most prestigious organization, has other, less tangible benefits: It gives its members industry credibility. It is invitation only, and with membership review once a year.
“I have betrayed the trust of the Academy. I denied the other nominees and winners the opportunity to celebrate and celebrate their extraordinary work,” his statement said. “My heart is broken. I want to focus on the people who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to do the incredible work of supporting creativity and artistry in film.”
Smith concluded in the statement, “Change takes time and I am committed to working to ensure that I will never again allow violence to overtake the cause.”
The resignation came two days after a meeting of the Academy’s leadership board to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating the group’s standards of conduct. Those proceedings could result in suspension or expulsion, and it was not immediately clear what additional punishment he could face.
Had he been expelled, Smith would have joined a small group of men expelled from the Academy: Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and actor Carmine Caridi, who were kicked out for sharing the award screeners.
On Sunday, Smith walked onto the stage from his front row Dolby Theater seat and slapped The Rock, who made a joke at the expense of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later, he won the Best Actor award for his role in “”. King Richard,
The Rock, who was about to win the Oscar for Best Documentary, refused to file charges when asked by police. He addressed the attack only publicly at a comedy concert in Boston this week, saying he was still “kind of processing what happened.”
Smith stunned Rock, the theater crowd, and audiences at home when he took to the stage after Rock joked: “Jada, I love you. ‘GI Jane 2’ can’t wait to see it.”
Pinkett Smith, who has spoken publicly about her hair loss condition, alopecia, had her head shaved in the same way as Demi Moore in the original film.
After Smith’s attack, he returned to his seat and angrily shouted twice at The Rock to “Get my wife’s name out of your mouth.” When Smith took the stage again less than an hour later to accept his Oscar, he apologized to the Academy in tears but notably omitted any mention of The Rock.
The result was immediate and rapid. Smith had supporters for coming to his wife’s defense, but he was widely condemned for responding to violence and overshadowing his long-sought Oscar win and the night’s other winners.