The American actor, Will Smith, has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences following the incident that took place in which he slapped Chris Rock at the time of the 2022 Academy Awards.
On Friday, the decision that took place by the actor was made in the face of potential expulsion or suspension for slapping the comedian Chris Rock.
Moreover, at the moment Smith was walking onstage, he slapped on the face of Rock. This happened after they made a joke about the haircut of Smith’s wife named, Jada Pinkett Smith, which is a result of her years-long battle with the autoimmune disease alopecia.
In the statement about the problem his wife is facing, Smith mentioned, “I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, & I will fully accept any & all consequences for my conduct. At the 94th Academy Awards presentation, my actions were shocking, painful, & inexcusable. The list of the individuals I have hurt is long & includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends & loved ones, all those in attendance, & global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy.
“I deprived other nominees & winners of their opportunity to celebrate & be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I’m heartbroken. I want to focus on those who deserve attention for their achievements & allow the Academy to get back to the magnificent work it does to support the creativity & artistry in film. So, I’m resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as well as will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time, as well as I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
In the week after the happening took place, according to the reports provided by the sources, the leaders of the Academy had a meeting with the actor on Zoom to have a discussion about the fallout, and the actor had “expressed his awareness” of the consequences of the incident.
As per the interview with the producer of the Oscars named Will Packer, Smith was not removed from the place after Rock mentioned and cleared everything that he did not “want to make a bad situation worse.”
Afterward, in the ceremony, Smith won the Best Actor award for his acting skills in the movie “King Richard.”
Meanwhile, Smith apologized to Rock and the Academy for the happening on his Social Media.
Will Smith noted that “Violence in all of its form is poisonous and destructive,” Smith wrote in his post. “My behavior at the Academy Awards at the last night was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about the medical issue of Jada (Smith’s wife) was too much for me to tolerate, & I reacted emotionally. I want to apologize to you, Chris, publicly. I was out of line & was wrong. I’m embarrassed, and my actions are not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no space for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Further, he asserted, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees, & everyone watching around the globe,” Smith continued. “I would like to apologize to my Williams Family & King Richard Family.
