The Academy Confirms Will Smith Was Asked to Leave the Oscars but He Refused

A lot of people have been wondering why the Academy didn’t remove Will Smith from the Oscar ceremony after he whacked Chris Rock across the face. Well, it turns out that organizers did approach him and ask him to leave, but he refused.

This new bit of information came from a new statement from the Academy offering an update on what is going on with the situation. That statement reads:

The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.

Consistent with the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, as well as California law, Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response. At the next board meeting on April 18, the Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.

Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television. Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.

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 recognize we could have handled the situation differently.

There are a ton of celebrities in Hollywood that have commented on this craziness over the past few days and many of them are condemning Smith’s actions at this point. Here are a few one that recently came to my attention.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared on Stubstack:

“With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community.

“By hitting Rock, he announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself—against words. This patronizing, paternal attitude infantilizes women and reduces them to helpless damsels needing a Big Strong Man to defend their honor least they swoon from the vapors.

“Young boys — especially Black boys — watching their movie idol not just hit another man over a joke, but then justify it as him being a superhero-like protector, are now much more prone to follow in his childish footsteps.”

Richard Williams said:

“We don’t know all the details of what happened. But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

Wanda Sykes said:

"I hope he doesn't mind me saying this, but I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary's after party] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, 'I'm so sorry.' I was like, 'Why are you apologizing?' He was like, 'It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a great job. I'm so sorry this is now gonna be about this.' Because that's who Chris is."

"It was sickening. It was absolutely— I physically felt ill, and I'm still a little traumatized by it. And for them to let [Will] stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, 'How gross is this?' This sends the wrong message. If you assault somebody, you get escorted out the building and that's it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross."

Tim Allen tweeted:

“It’s not ok to come up on stage and hit a dude cause you don’t like the humor. It’s not ok at a Comedy Club, concert hall or hosting some cheeseball award show. Chris Rock is a stand up comedian and a standup guy who carried on. I think I would have run.”

Alec Baldwin  tweeted:

“I am not reading much about how, or even if, the producers attended to Chris. But I love you, Chris Rock. And I’m sorry the Oscars turned into the Jerry Springer show.”

Kathy Griffin tweeted:

“Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”

Mark Hamill tweeted:

“Stand-up comics are very adept at handling hecklers. Violent physical assault… not so much. #UgliestOscarMoment_Ever”

Zoe Kravitz said on Instagram:

“Here’s a picture of my dress at the show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now. And here is a picture of my dress at the party after the award show – where we are apparently screaming profanities and assaulting people on stage now.”

Rosie O’Donnell tweeted:

“So upsetting – on every level – bravo to Chris Rock – for not eviscerating will smith – which he could do any day of the week – he walked away – bravo from a sad display of toxic masculinity from a narcissistic madman.”

Will Smith has apologized for his actions, but he still faces consequences. The whole thing just sucks.