Academy reveals Will Smith ‘was asked to leave the ceremony but refused’ after slapping Chris Rock

As all from Jim Carrey to Wanda Sykes have questioned why Will Smith was not escorted out after slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony, the Academy has now said in a statement that Will actually refused to leave the venue. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has now started a process that could lead to the actor’s, who won the Best Actor award, expulsion from the group. Also read: Oscars host Wanda Sykes reveals Chris Rock apologised to her after slapgate: ‘It was supposed to be your night’

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement, “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 recognise we could have handled the situation differently.”

The Academy said it started a process that could lead to disciplinary action against Will for violations of its standards of conduct, “including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.” Suspension, expulsion or other sanctions may be approved at its next board meeting on April 18.

Under the Academy’s rules, Will has the chance to provide a written response before the group takes action. The Academy in its statement apologised to Chris Rock and thanked him for “resilience in that moment.”

During the live telecast, Will strode up to the stage after Chris made a joke about the appearance of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and smacked the comedian in his face. Chris had referred to the 1997 film G.I. Jane in which actor Demi Moore shaved her head. The actor returned to his seat and twice yelled an obscenity at him. Less than an hour later, Will accepted the best actor trophy for his performance in the film King Richard, prompting questions about why he had not been escorted out.

Will apologised to Chris, the Academy and viewers in a statement on Monday, saying he was “out of line” and “reacted emotionally.”

Chris made his first public appearance at his stand-up show in Boston. He said he was still “processing” what happened and would talk about it later. “It’ll be serious. It’ll be funny, but right now I’m going to tell some jokes,” he said.

(With Reuters inputs)