If the ceremony from Oscars 2022 will be remembered, not for his nominations, but for theevent most scoring : the slap from will smithgoing up on stage to attack the presenter Chris Rock. An event that had many repercussions, including the one we are going to talk about today.
Will Smith: confessions and a symbolic act
There is no need to present it more than that since the meme of the event is looping on all social networks. On March 28, during a very soporific 2022 Oscars ceremony, Chris Rock jokes about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, wife of actor Will Smith and well-known actress. This spade did not please her husband who went on stage a few moments later to give his best slap to the comedian. Since on the internet, two camps oppose between those who believe that Will Smith has gone too far and those who consider that it was deserved. Besides, the source of the conflict between the Smith family and Chris Rock does not date from March 28, since as early as 2016, the comedian had already taken on Jada Pinkett directly. You can find all the elements of this drama and the reasons for the anger in our dedicated article here.
More seriously, since his inappropriate gesture, Will Smith has apologized many times. The actor explained that “jokes at her expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s condition was too hard for me and I reacted on the spot with emotion.“But a simple apology is not enough and Will Smith is already paying the consequences of his inappropriate gesture. In response, several agents have said they no longer want to give general public film projects to the production company Westbrook Studios, founded by the couple. He believes that the studio that co-produced the new series Bel Air but also Cobra-Kai will not receive a contract until at least this fall, since it has tarnished the actor’s reputation. To go further than excuses, Will Smith has also made the decision to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, of which he has been a member since 2001Here is what AMPAS President David Rubin said:
We have received and accepted the immediate resignation of Mr. Will Smith from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We will continue to advance our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for breaching the Academy’s standards of conduct, prior to our next board meeting scheduled for April 18.
A symbolic act that changes nothing?
According to our colleagues from DeadlineSmith was reportedly told by AMPAS that the repercussions of his action could include a “deportation for a decade or more.” Over the past week, it has been reported that Academy leaders had met with Smith via Zoom to discuss the fallout, and that the actor had “expressed his awareness” of the repercussions. According to Oscars producer Will Packer, Smith was not removed from the ceremony at the request of Chris Rock who did not wish “to want to aggravate the bad situation of the actor“. Later that night, Will Smith won Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. Many celebrities expressed their emotions on the event, like Jim Carrey, whose words you can find here.
In a long letter of declaration of resignationWill Smith greatly regrets his gesture:
I have directly responded to the Academy’s Notice of Disciplinary Hearing, and will fully accept all consequences of my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards were shocking, painful and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all in attendance, and a global audience back home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived the other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. My heart is broken. I want to re-emphasize those who deserve recognition for their accomplishments and allow the Academy to look back on the incredible work it does to support creativity and the art of filmmaking. Therefore, I resign from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any other consequences the board deems appropriate.. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I will never again allow violence to take precedence over reason.
