The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has imposed a 10-year ban on Will Smith from attending all Academy events, including the Oscars, as a result of his slapping Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.
Will Smith at the Oscars was a memorable event, he resigned from the academy on Friday, after publicly apologizing. This decision was expedited by the Academy’s president, David Rubin, who held a board meeting earlier than originally scheduled for April 18th. Here’s what went down.
What unfolded with Will Smith at the Oscars Ceremony?
The event happened quickly: Rock was there to present the best documentary and he made a series of jokes aimed at the celebrities present. Smith was outraged when the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance, leading him to slap Rock in response.
Ampas initially claimed Smith had been asked to leave the ceremony after the incident, but he refused. Subsequent reports, however, indicated that this was not a formal request, and Packer, the show’s producer, wanted him to stay. Two days after the Oscars ceremony, Rubin and Dawn Hudson, the CEO of Ampas, reportedly held a private meeting with Smith.
What Took Place After The Will Smith Oscars 2022 Fiasco?
Shortly after the incident, Smith was awarded the Best Actor accolade for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father to Venus and Serena, in the movie King Richard. So how many Oscars does Will Smith have? This was the first time in his career to win an Oscar.
Smith was overcome with emotion when he won the Best Actor Oscar for King Richard later that evening. As he made his way to the stage to accept the award, Smith indirectly apologized to Rock and directly apologized to the Academy.
Will Smith Oscar speech – After his speech, Smith added a bit of humor. With tears in his eyes, he quipped, “I’m hoping the Academy invites me back!” before letting out a chuckle.
Rubin and Hudson declared that the action taken in response to Smith’s conduct is a step towards the bigger objective of safeguarding the security of our performers and visitors, as well as regaining trust in the Academy. They also expressed their desire for this to be a period of healing and restoration for everyone involved and affected.
Following The Apology
Smith issued an apology to Rock one day after the incident, posting a statement on social media that declared, “Violence of any kind is detrimental and harmful.”
He continued by saying “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. It was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
On March 2023, Smith gave his inaugural awards show speech following the Oscars controversy. At the 14th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards in Beverly Hills, California, he and director Antoine Fuqua accepted the Beacon Award for their powerful movie about slavery, Emancipation.
At the NAACP Image Awards less than a week prior, Smith was awarded Best Actor for his portrayal of Peter, however, he was not present at the ceremony.
Chris Rock’s Response About The Will Smith Oscars Incident
Following the incident, Rock maintained a low profile and refrained from discussing it during his first standup show after the event.
During one of his comedy shows he stated “I have a whole show… that I wrote before the weekend, so, if you came here for that I’m still processing it, I will talk about it, and it will be serious, and it will be funny, but not tonight.”
On March 4, 2023, Rock made history as the first comedian to perform live on Netflix with his special, Selective Outrage. In this show, he finally shared his grievances with the public.
Some of what he said are as follows:
“Everybody f**kin’ knows. Yes, it happened, like a year ago, I got smacked at the f**king Oscars by this motherf**ker,”
“Everybody knows that had nothing to do with me. I didn’t have any entanglements,”
“His wife was f**king her son’s friend,” Rock told the crowd. “Now, I normally would not talk about this shit, But for some reason, these n***as put that shit on the internet. I have no idea why two people that talented would do something that low-down.”
Rock ended his performance by bringing up an argument from the 2016 Oscars when Pinkett Smith suggested that he should not host due to Smith’s lack of nomination for their role in Concussion, which was amid the “#OscarsSoWhite” controversy.
What’s Next Following The Oscars 2022 Will Smith Event?
For the 95th Academy Awards, a “crisis team” will be put in place for the first time in Oscar history. This decision was made due to the recent controversy. This was stated as “For precaution” purposes just in case there was to be another incident following the Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars 2022 situation.
Will Smith Memes Oscars 2022
Although the whole situation with Will.Smith Oscars fiasco was a serious situation, the public was quick to create memes about the incident for an added satirical effect. Here are a few of the memes below.
Final Thoughts
So my final thoughts on the Will Smith Chris Rock Oscars, Will Smith’s slap on Chris Rock at the Oscars was a heavy moment that brought some much-needed attention to the way we treat people both in public and in our private lives. It was a reminder that even amid a serious event, it’s important to take a step back and realize that your every move is being watched by someone or by millions of people.
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