Academy Explains Why Will Smith Wasn't Eliminated After Slapping Chris Rock
A source close to the Academy offers an explanation for why Will Smith was not removed from the Oscars ceremony after slapping comedian Chris Rock.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed
why it decided not to remove Will Smith from the recent ceremony after he
slapped Chris Rock. The assault was captured live during the broadcast and
was started by Rock pulling a prank at the expense of Smith's wife, actress
Jada Pinkett Smith. After walking up to Rock and slapping him, Smith got
back in his seat and yelled at the comedian as he struggled to defend his
joke.
The entire incident was one of the most shocking
moments in Oscar history, with a stunned Rock acknowledging as much after
being slammed for calling the experience "the best night in television
history." Throughout its 94-year history, the Oscars have not only earned a
reputation for fashion and glamour, but also for controversy. As a result,
there have been some very memorable moments, with many captured live during
the broadcast. Smith, who went on to win his first career Oscar for his
performance in King Richard, is not the kind of star who is regularly
besieged by controversy. However, Rock's prank changed everything, leaving
many wondering why Smith wasn't eliminated from the ceremony.
“Academy leadership seriously considered removing Will
Smith from last night's broadcast following the incident. There were
immediate discussions, but the Academy's decision makers were sitting in
various places in the Dolby Theater and couldn't be mobilized to make a
decision before he won best actor."
It took 44 minutes from the moment Smith slapped Rock to
the moment the 53-year-old won his first Oscar. It seems like a generous
amount of time in which Smith could have been escorted out of the theater.
At the same time, however, given that Smith was the Best Actor winner,
removing him might have created an even bigger problem from an incident the
Academy was no doubt eager to move on from. Going live carries its own set
of risks, though in this particular case, few could have expected the
typically amiable Smith to react that way to a joke from Rock. Making fun of
stars isn't exactly a rarity at awards shows, but Rock had specifically
focused on Pinkett Smith's alopecia condition, a topic that was clearly not
open to jokes.
With the entire incident still very fresh in the minds of
Oscar-goers and viewers alike, it will likely be some time before the story
wraps up. It's already been established that no legal action will be taken
by Rock, but whether or not the Academy decides to take some form of
disciplinary action against Will Smith remains to be seen. Smith is unlikely
to face any kind of punishment, considering he just took home the Oscar for
Best Actor. However, the entire incident raises the question of what is
acceptable behavior at the famous ceremony, even when the going gets
challenging.
