Academy says Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after slap, begins disciplinary proceedings

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has begun disciplinary proceedings against Will Smith after he slapped presenter Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Academy said the board of governors is looking into Smith's violations of the organization's standards of conduct, including "inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy."

The Academy added that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony following the incident but refused. They also extended apologies to Rock, nominees, guests, and viewers.

"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 statement read. "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."

The statement continued, "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."

The Academy concluded, "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."

EW has reached out to Smith's rep for comment.

Smith slapped Rock on stage at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday evening after the latter made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that pertained to her shaved head, comparing her to Demi Moore's character in G.I. Jane. (Pinkett Smith has alopecia, a condition that results in hair loss.) The incident occurred not too long before Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard, a win that resulted in divisiveness among viewers given the slap.

In his emotional acceptance speech, Smith apologized to his fellow nominees and the Academy, alluding to the confrontation by drawing parallels between himself and his King Richard character, Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. "Art imitates life," Smith said. "I look like the crazy father, just like they said. I'm the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things."

Smith omitted Rock from his speech but publicly apologized to the comedian the following day, writing on Instagram, "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive... I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

An internal memo sent to Academy members on Tuesday evening obtained by EW said leadership was "upset" with the "unacceptable and harmful behavior" that Smith displayed on stage that night. An industry insider previously told EW that Rock's G.I. Jane joke was not initially in the script, noting the difficulties of responding to the situation in a live setting.

"Having [Smith] leave was seriously discussed," the source told EW. The industry figure added that the situation was difficult for all parties involved — including people with "varying opinions" from the Academy, ABC, and reps for Rock and Smith — as split-second decisions needed to be made on how to proceed with the live show. "You're also trying to make sure Chris Rock is okay. So basically, to make a very huge decision like that, which either way would've had consequences within the show, in a 10-minute span and get everybody together and have that discussion logistically was a nightmare and borderline impossible."

The Academy confirmed early Monday that it had launched an investigation into Smith's conduct. The Los Angeles Police Department also confirmed that Rock declined to press charges.

Related content:

• Oscars co-host Wanda Sykes calls Will Smith's outburst 'sickening': 'No one has apologized to us'
• Of memes and men: Finding — and losing — the humor in Will Smith's Oscars slap
• Oscars co-host Amy Schumer says she's 'still triggered and traumatized' by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock