Should the Academy accept this kind of Violence on
stage !?
There are calls for the Academy to strip Will
Smith of his Best Actor Oscar after he walked on stage and slapped comedian
Chris Rock who was presenting an award on stage, after making a joke about Jada
Pinkett-Smith's hair.
The Academy, in its code of conduct, is known to
take a very a dim view of violence of any kind.
Could Will Smith be stripped of his Oscar?
Academy faces pressure to respond after disgraced star broke Code of Conduct
drawn up in wake of MeToo Movement
Actor Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage and struck
comedian Chris Rock across the face for joking about his wife
The moment left attendees and viewers stunned with
calls for the Academy to strip Smith of his accolade
Assault violates Academy Code of Conduct set up in
wake of Me Too Movement
LAPD said no reports of assault had been filed but was
'aware of an incident'
Rock cracked a joke comparing Jada Pinkett Smith's
tightly cropped hair to Demi Moore's appearance in the film 'G.I. Jane' and
suggested she appear in a sequel
By JAMES
GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED:
06:59, 28 March 2022 | UPDATED: 08:23, 28 March 2022
There are
calls for the Academy to strip Will Smith of his Best Actor Oscar after he
walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock who was presenting an award on
stage, after making a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's hair.
The
Academy, in its code of conduct, is known to take a very a dim view of violence
of any kind.
After the
award ceremony was over it tweeted: 'The Academy does not condone violence of
any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards
winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie
lovers around the world.'
'Academy
membership is a privilege offered to only a select few within the global community
of filmmakers,' AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson wrote to members following various
scandals in the industry.
On Sunday
night, in the Dolby Theatre, there was complete bewilderment in the moments
after the assault with took place with those present initially wondering if the
punch was part of a stunt.
It took a
few moments for the normally unflappable Rock to process but the colorful
language from Smith quickly confirmed it wasn't any kind of joke at all.
The punch
threw the entire Oscars broadcast into chaos as producers were frantically
forced into deciding how to deal with the on-air assault, with Smith still yet
to receive his Best Actor statuette.
Could Will
Smith be stripped of his Oscar? The Academy faces pressure to respond after the
King Richard star broke the Academy's Code of Conduct drawn up during Me Too
Movement
Under normal circumstances, Smith would have almost
certainly have been removed by security guards and escorted out of the
auditorium for the attack, but the slap came moments before the award for Best
Actor was to be announced.
Only three
people in the building knew that Smith was to receive the coveted prize
including the show's producer Will Packer and two accountants from Price
Waterhouse Coopers who oversee the tabulating of the Oscars results before the
winning envelopes are handed out and opened onstage.
Producers
were therefore placed in an impossible situation as to how to deal with the
assault.
Smith's rep
could be seen rushing to be by his side as the actor sat back down next to his
wife, while the producer of the entire Oscars show, Packer, was also seen
racing to Smith's table and said something to him.
The LAPD
were also informed of what had occurred on stage but revealed later that no
complaint had been filed.
During the
commercial break which followed, Will Smith was pulled aside and comforted by
Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry appeared to motion for him to brush it off.
Smith's
publicist continued speaking with him during the final commercial breaks of the
Oscars broadcast which were quickly inserted into the broadcast while producers
dealt with the panic behind the scenes.
Backstage
the academy told gathered journalists not to ask any of the actors present
about the slap seen around the world, but it was all that anyone was talking
about at the Oscar parties that take place after the show was done.
Fifteen
minutes after the assault, Smith who appeared shaken picked up the biggest
accolade of his life as he collected the Best Actor award making a tearful
speech in which he attempted to link his outburst to his character in King
Richard as someone who 'defended his family.'
He also
took a moment to issue an apology to the Academy and to his fellow nominees,
but that may not be enough with calls for him now to be stripped of the award.
'It's
basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so
uncomfortable' one executive told the New York Post.
'I think
Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen
now.'
Director
Judd Apatow was appalled by the behavior he witnessed onstage.
'He could
have killed him. That's pure out of control rage and violence. They've heard a
million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in
the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind.'
Director
Apatow was appalled by the behavior he witnessed onstage
Smith could
be seen appearing to wipe tears from his eyes as Denzel Washington later walked
him back to his front row seat.
Smith
revealed during his acceptance speech Washington had told him 'that at his
"highest moment, that's when the devil comes for you".
'In this
business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you. You've got to
smile and pretend like that's okay,' Smith said.
'I want to
be a vessel for love. I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena. Thank you
for entrusting me with your story. That's what I want to do. I want to be an
ambassador of that kind of love, and care and concern.'
The
Academy's CEO Dawn Hudson highlighted values the Academy valued at the height
of the Me Too Movement including 'fostering supportive environments, and
respect for human dignity.'
'In
addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and
sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy's values
of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that
fosters creativity.
'There is
no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence
in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency. The Academy is
categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination on the
basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age,
religion, or nationality. The Board of Governors believes that these standards
are essential to the Academy's mission and reflective of our values,' Hudson
detailed in a statement as reported by Variety.
Legally,
Smith may have got away with it. Late on Sunday night, the LAPD released a
statement saying that no police report had yet been filed.
'LAPD
investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during
the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping
another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report.
'If the
involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available
to complete an investigative report.'
Many users
on Twitter stated that they wanted to see Smith stripped of his Best Actor gong
The Academy
has taken action against members in the past.
Disgraced
mogul Harvey Weinstein was stripped of his membership in the organization after
he was was found guilty of decades of sexual misbehavior, including allegations
of rape.
In 2017,
Greg P. Russell, a sound mixer on 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,
was been stripped of his Oscar nomination after he was caught phoning his
fellow members from the Academy's Sound Branch 'to make them aware of his work
on the film.
The calls
were a 'direct violation of a campaign regulation that prohibits telephone
lobbying,' a statement from the Academy said.
In 2014,
the song Alone Yet Not Alone from the little-known film of the same name had
its nomination for Best Original Song rescinded after composer Bruce Broughton,
an Academy member and former governor, contacted fellow branch members by
email, breaking Academy rules.
GUARDIAN:
(…) “Following
the ceremony, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed in a statement that
it was “aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards
program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual
involved has declined to file a police report.”
“If the
involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available
to complete an investigative report,” the statement concluded.
Shortly
thereafter, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued their own
statement: “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are
delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment
of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
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