Will Smith could face Academy expulsion after refusing to leave the Oscars
After Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on national television, he was asked to leave the Oscars but refused to do so, according to a report from Deadline.
A statement from the Academy says that the actor will now face “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted.”
The full statement goes on to say, “Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
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According to the statement, Smith is being provided 15 days’ notice regarding his violations and sanctions, and he has the opportunity to be heard from through a written response before that deadline.
The statement continues by calling Smith’s actions at the 94th annual Academy Awards “deeply shocking” and “traumatic” to witness on television.
The Academy is also issuing an apology to Rock, saying, “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.”
While it wasn’t a formal statement to the Academy like they’ve requested, Smith did publicly apologize to the Academy and to Rock in a statement on Instagram.
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Update: TMZ has reported that the Academy lied about asking Smith to leave.
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