Will Smith Decides Own Fate With Academy After Oscars Slap Controversy

Will Smith has taken personal steps to address his actions during the Oscars a week prior, choosing to resign from The Academy in light of the body’s disciplinary hearing. Smith walked away from the awards ceremony with the Best Actor statue, but all anybody has been able to talk about is when he slapped Chris Rock over a joke at his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense.

Smith revealed his decision in a statement on Friday, apologizing once again and accepting the consequences that may remain. “I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” Smith says in the statement. “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.

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“So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate,” Smith continues. “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

The fallout since Sunday wrapped and the Oscars were all handed out has revolved around Smith’s assault on Rock. The Fresh Prince star has apologized several times for his actions, but the debate has raged over if Smith’s actions were right, what happened next, why it happened, and the entire fiasco’s timing. The 2022 Oscars were a historic night of wins, representation and overall a better production than recent, COVID-plagued years that nobody will remember. They will remember Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, though.

Rock hasn’t addressed the moment directly outside of some passing mentions during a standup show in Boston. And prior to Smith’s decision, the response from The Academy and those producing the show was wishy-washy at best.

Smith could still lose his Oscar statue or at least be barred from any future ceremonies. The Academy’s formal review will take weeks to complete at this point, but Smith’s resignation could change the direction of those proceedings.