The President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has admitted the organization’s response to Will Smith’s slap was “inadequate.”
During last year’s ceremony in March 2022, the “Independence Day” actor walked onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and slapped presenter Chris Rock after he made a joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
After the shocking incident, Will returned to his seat and remained in the audience until he received the Best Actor Oscar for “King Richard” later in the show.
Academy officials, who claimed Will was asked to leave the auditorium, later publicly condemned his actions and launched a formal review.
Amid the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, Academy president Janet Yang acknowledged they didn’t handle the situation properly.
“What happened onstage was fully unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate,” she told attendees, according to Variety. “We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately, and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
In the days after the slap, the “Men in Black” star resigned from the Academy and apologized for his behavior.
He spent several months out of the public eye and returned to promote the release of his movie “Emancipation” in December.
After the review, Academy officials revoked Will’s membership and banned him from attending the ceremony for 10 years. In the announcement, then-president David Rubin and chief executive officer Dawn Hudson acknowledged they “did not adequately address the situation in the room.”
The 2023 Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 12th.
