Academy Issues Statement After Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars Slapping Incident

deadline.com:

“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” read the tweet posted to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences account about two hours after Will Smith walked onstage and slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.The Academy tweet then sought to refocus attention on the more dignified elements of the evening:“Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”The Academy does not condone violence of any form.Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022But it was a tough sell, especially among those in the usually Oscar-obsessed entertainment industry.

The Last Samurai producer Marshall Herskovitz wanted to see the Academy do more than just issue a statement.“I call upon the Academy, of which I am a member,” he wrote, “to take disciplinary action against Will Smith.

He disgraced our entire community tonight.”I call upon the Academy, of which I am a member, to take disciplinary action against Will Smith.

He disgraced our entire community tonight.— Marshall Herskovitz (@MHerskovitz) March 28, 2022For his part, Chris Rock decided not to file a police report — at least for now.