Meanwhile, another report seems to contradict the Academy's claim that they asked the 'King Richard' star to leave the Oscars following his assault on the show's presenter.
- Apr 1, 2022
AceShowbiz - The Academy is ready to address Will Smith Oscars slap on national television. Will Packer, the producer of the 2022 Academy Awards, is set to appear on "Good Morning America" on Friday, April 1.
In a preview of the upcoming episode, Packer recounts a conversation that was going on backstage between Chris Rock and LAPD officers after Smith slapped the comedian onstage. According to Packer, the LAPD was "prepared" to arrest the "King Richard" star that night.
"They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment. They said, 'We will go get him. We are prepared. We're prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him.' They were laying out the options," Packer says in the clip.
As to why an arrest was never made, Packer elaborates, "And as they were talking, Chris was - he was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'No, no, no, I'm fine.' And even to the point where I said, 'Rock, let them finish.' The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, 'Would you like us to take any action?' And he said no. He said no."
Packer also admits that he never spoke directly to Smith while at the Oscars.
Prior to this, the Academy claimed they asked Smith to leave the ceremony after he smacked Rock across the face, but he refused to leave. However, sources tell TMZ a conflicting story. According to three sources at the ceremony, there were heated conversations backstage and there was a split among the officials as some did want him booted, but others did not.
They allegedly never reached a consensus and at one point during a commercial break, Smith was allegedly told he could stay. Around 35 minutes after the slap, Packer allegedly walked up to the actor and said, "We do not want you to leave." He won the Best Actor award around 5 minutes later.
Backing this story, Variety reports that Smith was never formally asked to leave the Oscars. While Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson asked him to leave the show through an on-site representative, Packer allegedly told the actor that he and the production "officially" wanted Smith to stay for the remainder of the show. A source close to Packer, however, denied that the producer urged Smith to remain.
The Academy did not mention Smith's name when it first reacted to the slap. As the debate over the incident grew intense, they released another statement on Wednesday, in which they said, "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."
They added that "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." The Academy said disciplinary action for Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.
