Oscars hire ‘crisis team’ for 'unanticipated events' after Will Smith slap

Will Smith makes a triumphant awards show return at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards at the Beverly Wiltshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on Wednesday (March 1) in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Julia MacCary editor Will Smith was the surprise guest that set the room abuzz Wednesday night at the 14th annual African American Film Critics Assn. Awards at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. But Smith had tough competition in the emotional-speech department from fellow honorees that included Danielle Deadwyler, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett and Gina Prince-Bythewood. Deadwyler, who won lead actress honors for her tour de force role in “Till,” drew the crowd’s the attention to the world-changing impact of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose provocative decision to show pictures of her son’s brutalized corpse helped ignite the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and ’60s.

Will Smith got emotional when he revealed he was spit on by a White actor while filming "Emancipation." Smith appeared at the 14th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards on Wednesday night to accept the Beacon Award. "'Emancipation' was the most individual difficult film of my entire career," Smith said after director Antoine Fuqua spoke, via "Entertainment Tonight." "It’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that, that level of inhumanity." "It was the second day of shooting and 110 degrees," he said.

live performances during the telecast. (Among the performers: David Byrne, Son Lux and Stephanie Hsu and Rihanna.) The list of presenters released Thursday also included Emily Blunt, Jonathan Majors, Questlove, Glenn Close, Ariana DeBose, Jennifer Connelly, Samuel L.

Academy Awards prepares to celebrate its 95th year, the prestigious awards show isn't without its fair share of controversy.Long before the headline-making slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock during the 2022 broadcast, there have been numerous scandals and controversies to come out of the Oscars.From reading out the wrong winner to cringe-worthy hosts and unwanted onstage PDA, ET is looking back at the most controversial moments in Oscars history:Will Smith's Oscars SlapIn arguably the biggest scandal to ever come out of the awards show, Will Smith took to the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock across the face after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, shaved head during the 2022 broadcast. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia.

2022 Oscars.The 54-year-old appeared Wednesday at the African American Film Critics Association Awards in Los Angeles, where he received the Beacon Award for his role in the recent AppleTV+ film “Emancipation.”The actor — who has largely been banished from Hollywood in the wake of his assault on Rock — didn’t address the scandal as he took to the microphone. Instead, Smith focused on his role in “Emancipation,” a historical drama in which he plays a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. “’Emancipation’ was the most individual difficult film of my entire career,” Smith declared.

Chris Rock is finally talking about the slap.

Will Smith is speaking at award ceremonies again. The 54-year-old actor attended the 14th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Wednesday night and took the podium to say a few words. The speech marked the Oscar winner’s first in-person acceptance at an awards show since he slappedChris Rock onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards.Smith accepted the Beacon Award with Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua. His co-star, Charmaine Bingwa, and AAFCA cofounder Gil L.

Will Smith made his first in-person speech tonight at an awards ceremony since the 2022 Oscars incident with Chris Rock.

The slap heard round the world is about to get its first complete take from Chris Rock, who will finally talk about the infamous Oscars incident with Will Smith.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you’ve probably heard about Tommy Fury beating Jake Paul in the much-anticipated fight. When the date for the rescheduled boxing match was first set, many speculated that it could be called off once again due to Molly-Mae Hague giving birth to their daughter just weeks before the big night.

Chris Rock is ready to let loose on Will Smith during his live global Netflix standup special this Saturday after months of honing jokes about his infamous Oscar slap, according to reports.  The special this Saturday comes nearly a year after Smith walked onstage at the Academy Awards while Rock was presenting and smacked him across the face.  The "Spiral" star has mostly stayed mum on the attack except for jokes he has been trying out on stand-up audiences in his "Ego Death World Tour." In July, Rock joked he was slapped by "Suge Smith," comparing Smith to the former Death Row Records co-founder, Marion "Suge" Knight. Knight is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in 2018 following a fatal confrontation in Los Angeles in 2015.

Netflix special called “Selective Outrage.” When it airs Saturday at 10 p.m. ET., Rock will reportedly speak out about the night Smith smacked him onstage at the Oscars.A source told Page Six that “the comedian is waiting to spill his humorous take on it” in his major stand-up show. He’s already been testing the waters.

“Naatu Naatu” is coming to the Oscars.

The Oscar-nominated song “Naatu Naatu” from S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR (Rise! Roar! Revolt!) will be performed at the 95th Academy Awards by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava in their Oscar debut.

95th Academy Awards are two weeks away. The Oscars ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place Sunday, March 12.

Katie Reul editor “Saturday Night Live” cast member Colin Jost, co-anchor of Weekend Update, levied a jab at the Academy for this week’s decision to hire a “crisis team” for the upcoming 2023 Oscars. Devised to ensure first-line responders are available at the awards show in the case of an emergency, the newly-implemented team comes on the heels of last year’s tumultuous ceremony. The 2022 Oscars saw actor Will Smith slap presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife. The violent outburst resulted in Smith being banned from events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for the next decade. “Guys, it’s not going to happen again,” Jost joked, seeming to address the telecast’s producers. “I’m sure you wish it would, for ratings. If anything the promo should be, ‘Who’s going to get slapped this year?’ Can Ana de Armas beat the ‘Tar’ out of Cate Blanchett? Which banshee will knock the shoes off Marcel the Shell? And who has what it takes to ‘Whale’ on Brendan Fraser?”

Katie Reul editor Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in “Emancipation” on Saturday night, marking his first award win since his infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage. Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person. Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting off violent plantation owners. “Emancipation” was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as “Whipped Peter,” which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back. The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.

Rihanna wowed the audience at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona with her spectacular halftime show at the Super Bowl. The singer made a grand return to the stage and took the opportunity to reveal her second pregnancy.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Actor and singer Sofia Carson and songwriter Diane Warren will perform the Oscar-nominated song “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman” at next month’s Academy Awards ceremony. This is the second nominated song announced after Rihanna was confirmed to perform her track from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” “Applause” marks Warren’s 14th career Oscar nomination, which comes after chart-topping hits such as “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” from “Armageddon” (1998) and “Because You Loved Me” from “Up Close and Personal” (1996). However, she has yet to win. Oscar-winner Cher was tapped to present Warren with an Honorary Oscar at the 2022 Governors Awards.

Rihanna will perform at the 95th Academy Awards next month, it has been announced.The pop superstar will perform her Oscar-nominated song Lift Me Up, written for Marvel’s blockbuster sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.The song picked up a nod for best original song, alongside Lady Gaga’s Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, and is Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination. Hosted by US comedian Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars is set to take place on March 12.The Academy will be announcing more talent participating in the show in the coming weeks.

Academy Awards draw closer, the most famous performance of Will Smith’s career is being reexamined. No, we’re not talking about his work on “Ali” and “King Richard,” we’re talking about “The Slap,” that iconic moment where Smith marched onstage, slapped Chris Rock, and won an Oscar for best actor minutes later. After a year of penance and practically no media presence, Smith is back online and is poking fun at the moment on TikTok.The 8 biggest pop culture moments of the yearOscars 2023: Jimmy Kimmel teases the Oscars, makes fun of ‘the slap’The video is a duet, featuring Smith’s reaction to another TikTok video.

The Academy Awards will air on March 12th, revealing the winners of some of this year’s best films. A handful of Latinos earned nominations in significant categories, a feat that must be acknowledged and celebrated, even if there’s still a long way to go in terms of representation and recognition. Oscars 2023: Jimmy Kimmel teases the Oscars, makes fun of ‘the slap’Ana de Armas reportedly doesn’t think she is going to win the Academy AwardScroll down to have a look at some of the Latinos that earned recognition from the Academy Awards this year, and where you can watch their films: The most notorious Latina nominee this year is Ana de Armas.

electric Super Bowl halftime performance earlier this month, Oscar nominee Rihanna will perform at the awards ceremony on March 12.The “Shut Up and Drive” crooner, 35, will sing “Lift Me Up” — the theme from the Marvel film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday.Rihanna — who is pregnant with her second child — wrote the song with Tems, “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson.The track is nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar. It’s Rihanna’s first Academy Award nomination.The other nominees for Best Original Song are “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman” by Diane Warren, “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick” by Lady Gaga and BloodPop, “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” by M.M.

Academy Awards prepares to celebrate its 95th year, the prestigious awards show isn't without its fair share of scandal.Long before the headline-making slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock during the 2022 broadcast, there have been numerous scandals and controversies to come out of the Oscars.From reading out the wrong winner to cringe-worthy hosts and unwanted onstage PDA, ET is looking back at the most controversial moments in Oscars history:Will Smith's Oscars SlapIn arguably the biggest scandal to ever come out of the awards show, Will Smith took to the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock across the face after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, shaved head during the 2022 broadcast. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia.

Academy Awards prepares to celebrate its 95th year, the prestigious awards show isn't without its fair share of scandal.Long before the headline-making slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock during the 2022 broadcast, there have been numerous scandals and controversies to come out of the Oscars.From reading out the wrong winner to cringe-worthy hosts and unwanted onstage PDA, ET is looking back at the most controversial moments in Oscars history:Will Smith's Oscars SlapIn arguably the biggest scandal to ever come out of the awards show, Will Smith took to the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock across the face after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, shaved head during the 2022 broadcast. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia.

95th Academy Awards, a move enacted in wake of the slap heard and seen 'round the world.Glenn Weiss, a veteran live events director and multi EMMY-winning producer who will executive produce the March 12 ceremony, spoke to ET about the reasoning for the plan's implementation. While Weiss didn't directly reference Will Smith slapping Oscars presenter Chris Rock during last year's ceremony — a controversy that continues to reverberate -- the 61-year-old producer said the crisis team is another safety layer.«We go in with a really good plan for the known,» Weiss tells ET, «but you have to be ready for what may transpire with what you didn't plan.»If anyone's prepared for the unknown it's Weiss, as well as host Jimmy Kimmel, who has not only hosted multiple Oscar shows but is also comfortable in front of a live audience.

Her No. 1 fan? Keri Russell revealed whether her 11-year-old daughter, Willa, fell in love with Felicity after watching the pilot — and what she thought of her acting skills.

Fresh off her Super Bowl LVII performance, Rihanna is now set to sing the Oscar-nominated tune “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the 95th Annual Academy Awards.

blowing everyone away at the Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna will perform “Lift Me Up” at the 95th Oscars, executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner announced on Thursday. The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” ballad is the superstar’s first Best Original Song nomination.

The Oscars are making sure they’re prepared for everything this year.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Rihanna will perform the Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner have announced. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 12. “Lift Me Up,” with music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson and lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler, is nominated for original song. It is Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination. Rihanna, who has not released a new album since 2016’s “Anti,” headlined the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month — although her musical performance was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that she revealed she is several months pregnant with her second child. Rihanna made no reference to it during the show but was visibly pregnant and reps confirmed the news to Variety shortly after the performance.

Will Smith walk on stage to slap Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.Little has – despite the wave of criticism they have received for years with various concerns  – also caused such an urge to change things within the way things work than the shocking incident.In the aftermath, which included a hiatus for the King Richard actor and a 10-year ban from attending the annual awards, the Academy has rolled out a series of new measures to make sure everything goes far more smoothly.WATCH: Will Smith reappears months after Chris Rock Oscars slap to answer difficult questions and issue apologiesMORE: Will Smith pays heartfelt tribute to daughter Willow with unseen family photosAs the Academy continues to grapple with the fallout of the several controversies they have faced in recent years, they have decided to incorporate a "crisis team" into their organization to be on high alert during the show and beyond.Speaking with TIME, the Academy's CEO, Bill Kramer – who only became the organization's leader last July – detailed what measures would be in place should a surprise crisis arise in the middle of the show.MORE: Will Chris Rock attend the 2023 Oscars?When asked how they are preparing, the entertainment executive first praised their choice of host, Jimmy Kimmel, as someone who is more than adept at handling live television. The star has since apologized for the incidentSpeaking of the newly founded crisis team, he said: "We have a whole crisis team, something we've never had before, and many plans in place."DISCOVER: Taylor Kinney rocks bright red lipstick in first pictures after Chicago Fire departureDISCOVER: The Rookie star Nathan Fillion's secret struggle with ongoing condition revealedHe added: "We've run many scenarios.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in a shocking moment that overshadowed Hollywood’s biggest night, TMZ reported Wednesday. The outlet cited unidentified Academy insiders who reportedly said the designated team will be able to spring into action at the March 12 ceremony if things go awry.“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” the sources allegedly told TMZ. “We’ve run many scenarios.

After a stellar debut last year, Bel-Air — Peacock’s reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air that featured Will Smith — returns Feb. 23 with a new showrunner, new supporting cast members, and an unexpected challenge: how does the Banks Family persuade a young Will Smith (Jabari Banks) to move back into their fancy mansion?

Zack Sharf The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer confirmed in an interview with Time magazine that the organization has implemented a new “crisis team” for the upcoming 2023 Oscars in order to quickly navigate any potential real-time emergency. The creation of a crisis team is a response to the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith infamously walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock across the face. Academy president Janet Yang previously said the group’s response to the incident was not swift enough. “We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” Kramer said. “We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”