Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock over Oscars slap

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Actor Will Smith apologised to Chris Rock on Monday (March 28) for slapping the comedian at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony, issuing a statement after the film academy said it might take action against Smith for an incident that overshadowed the industry’s top awards.

Smith, in a post on Instagram, said his behaviour at the televised ceremony was “unacceptable and inexcusable”.

Smith strode on stage during the telecast on Sunday and struck Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife Jada. Less than an hour later, Smith won best actor for his role as the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.

Rock, in his joke, had referenced the 1997 film G.I. Jane in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that Smith’s wife has a disease that causes hair loss.

“Jokes at my expense are part of the job,” Smith said on Monday, “but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”

“I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, the 9,900-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences condemned Smith’s actions and said it was reviewing the matter.

"The Academy condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night's show," the Academy said in a statement to AFP.

"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 group’s conduct policy states it is “opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination” and expects members to uphold the values “of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity”.

Violations may result in suspension or expulsion from the organisation, revocation of Oscars, or loss of eligibility for future awards, according to the policy.

SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, called Smith’s actions “unacceptable” and said it had been in touch with the academy and broadcaster ABC “to ensure this behavior is appropriately addressed”.

Debate has raged across social media about whether the actor should be punished – and if so, how?

So, will Will be stripped of his Oscar? If history is any guide, it’s unlikely.

In Oscars history, just one award has had to be returned. In 1969, Young Americans won the Best Documentary Feature Award, which was revoked after it was later found to have been released too early to have been eligible for nomination, according to movie site IMDB.

Other big names in the industry have been removed from Hollywood’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but all have retained their awards.

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was imprisoned for 23 years for sex crimes in March 2020 and banned from the Academy – but he retains his Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, awarded in 1998. Others kicked out of the Academy in the wake of the #MeToo movement include Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski.