Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over his slap of comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.
The actor made the announcement after the academy began a review of the shocking TV moment about which Smith said his actions were “shocking, painful, and inexcusable.” Smith faced suspension, expulsion, or other punitive measures with the board of governors scheduled to meet April 18 and said he had received a disciplinary hearing notice.
“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,” Smith said in the statement Friday.
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“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,” he added. “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. 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.”
David Rubin, president of the academy, said the film organization had accepted Smith’s resignation.
“We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18,” Rubin added in a statement.
Smith slapped Rock onstage after the comedian, who was hosting the show, made a joke mocking the bald appearance of his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia.
“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock said. Smith initially seemed to laugh at the joke, while Pinkett Smith appeared to look irritated. Moments later, Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock. Upon returning to his seat, Smith yelled at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his “f****** mouth.”
“Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” Rock said as the show continued.
Smith later won best actor for his role in King Richard, which tells the story of the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. During his acceptance speech, Smith offered an apology to the academy and his “fellow nominees” but did not mention Rock. Smith later released a statement in which he did apologize to Rock by name.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I 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,” Smith said.
The academy launched an investigation into the incident and criticized Smith’s actions in a statement Monday.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith,” the academy said. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
The academy released another statement acknowledging that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused. “We also recognize we could have handled the situation differently,” the academy said.
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Rock has not filed a police report, but he did address the incident this week during his first public appearance since the slap at a stand-up comedy show at the Wilbur Theater in Boston.
“I’m still kind of processing what happened,” Rock told the audience. “So, at some point, I’ll talk about that s***. And it will be serious and funny.”
Pinkett Smith posted to Instagram this week and called for “healing.”
