After a flurry of backlash, Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after slapping Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars.
Per Variety, Smith released a statement announcing the move and clarifying that he will accept any other consequences the Academy sees fit. "My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable," the statement reads. "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," Smith states, also acknowledging that the incident distracted from the overall aim of the ceremony. "I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken."
Smith's statement concludes with another condemnation of his actions and a vow to avoid similar behavior in the future. "Change takes time," Smith states, "and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason."
During the Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, Rock made a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Taking issue with a joke many have deemed insensitive, Smith stormed the stage and slapped Rock across the face before returning to his seat and shouting at him, "Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth!" Smith was allowed to stay for the duration of the ceremony and later accepted the Oscar for Best Actor. In the aftermath, the Academy announced a formal review of the incident.
Now that Smith is no longer a member of the Academy, he won't be able to vote on next year's Oscars or participate in other Academy events. Traditionally, Best Actor winners present the subsequent year's Best Actress award, which Smith may be barred from doing. Depending on the outcome of the Academy's formal review, Smith could also be deemed ineligible for future Oscar nominations -- temporarily or permanently.
Aside from the consequences Smith will endure from the Academy, his actions may have further-reaching repercussions when it comes to his career. An anonymous Hollywood agent recently said they are "not giving [Smith's production company] Westbrook any projects" after the Oscars incident. "And I may even blow up the ones that I have that are currently in negotiations," they said. "What's Westbrook without Will? Nothing."
Source: Variety