Well, there’s nothing to be slappy about here. After slapping presenter Chris Rock on stage at last weekend’s Academy Awards, Will Smith announced in a statement Friday that he has resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
“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 said in a statement.
Will Smith Resigns From The Academy After Slapping Chris Rock On Stage
Smith’s statement concluded, “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. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
Smith had previously apologized to the academy and to Rock. Minutes after he slapped Rock on Sunday night, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in “King Richard.”
“Love will make you do crazy things,” he said in his acceptance speech, one of several apparent references to his attack on the comedian.
Smith’s resignation came roughly 12 hours after Will Packer, the lead producer of the Oscars telecast, spoke publicly about the episode for the first time.
“I was advocating what Rock wanted in that time, which was not to physically remove Will Smith at that time,” Mr. Packer said. “Because as it has now been explained to me, that was the only option at that point. It has been explained to me that there was a conversation that I was not a part of to ask him to voluntarily leave.”
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