Will Smith resigns from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following backlash over Chris Rock slap
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Will Smith resigns from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following backlash over Chris Rock slap
KABC 4-4 minutes 4/1/2022
LOS ANGELES -- Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as he faces possible punishment over slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
Smith released the following statement Friday afternoon:
I have directly responded to the Academy's disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation 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 those in attendance, and global audiences at home.
I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.
So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.
Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.
The news comes just two days after the Academy's leadership board met to start disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group's standard of conduct.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, founded in 1927, is the world's preeminent movie-related organization made up of more than 10,000 accomplished individuals working in cinema, according to the Academy's website. The organization recognizes excellence in the art of motion pictures.
David Rubin, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said in a statement Friday afternoon:
"We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith's immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18."
On Sunday, Smith strode from his front-row Dolby Theatre seat on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later, he went on to win the best actor award for his role in "King Richard."
Rock, who was about to present Oscar for best documentary, declined to file charges when asked by police. He has only briefly addressed the attack publicly, saying at one comedy concert in Boston this week that he was still "kind of processing what happened."
Smith shocked the theater crowd and viewers at home when he took the stage after Rock joked: "Jada, I love you. 'G.I. Jane 2,' can't wait to see it."
Pinkett Smith, who suffers from the hair loss condition alopecia, had a closely shaved head similar to that of Demi Moore in the original movie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning ?
I was at the end after OJ Simpson tweeted his thoughts and then shared them again in a Twitter video:
"Look, I understood the feeling. In my life, I've been through a lot of crap. I was raising two young kids and every comedian in the country had O.J. routines and don't think I wouldn't want to B-slap a couple of those guys, but you’ve got to accept it’s human. I didn't think it was all that egregious. I thought it was a semi-unfunny joke, but I don't know. I don't get it. I know this, after what happened to me in Las Vegas if I would have done that in front of a billion people watching around the world they would have given me life without. I'm just saying. Hey take care,"
In the end, it's about OJ.
I guess we are supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But I raised three kids and have had thousands of employees over the years
and I just can't help hearing,
"You can't discipline me, I quit".
Interesting.
All that means is he won't get to vote or get insurance from them.
He has enough money, it is no skin off his back.
Who knows whether the matter will increase or decrease the popularity of Smith, or of Rock? Only time will tell.
The price of tickets to see Chris Rock have skyrocketed with sold out shows. I would venture to say that this has only made him more in demand as a comic.
In show biz there's no such thing as bad publicity. Smith may suffer a temporary dip of job offers but he has probably been getting 25 times more job offers than he could actually do anyway. His punishment will likely be of his own making because he's going to want his next movie to be a big hit, he'll be desperate for a hit. When he finds the right script he'll be negotiating from a position of weakness even if it's only in his own mind and will take a big cut in pay if he thinks that movie can restore his career and standing.
What will be left for him after a "big cut in pay" will be many times what I ever made in a year.
It's unlikely he'll be suffering, He was paid $27 million by Netflix for his role in "Bright" so even at one quarter pay he's raking it in. He probably makes millions a year just from residuals. I'm kind of getting the feeling his hell is being married to Jada, maybe is just me but she seems to have an aura of underlying evil.
They recently showed the movie Bad Company here, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock - not a bad movie, gave Rock lots of space for his "hysterical" mannerisms.
Of course the year I decided to completely ignore the Oscars the first entertaining thing in decades happens.
lol
Smith knew he was going get kicked out of the Academy, so he resigned.
YOU CAN'T FIRE ME, I QUIT