The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday evening issued a letter about the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars.
The Academy put out a previous statement about what took place between Will Smith and Chris Rock, “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
Soon after an investigation was initiated after the Academy’s officers convened for an emergency call about the King Richard actor, who stormed on stage and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
The Los Angeles Police Department was notified about the incident and issued a statement on Sunday. “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program.”
“The incident involved one individual slapping another,” they added. “The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”
In the letter, the Academy stated that processing the incident will take some time before they reach a conclusion on how to handle the situation.
Read the full letter below.
Dear Members,
Sunday’s telecast of the 94th Oscars was meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year. We are upset and outraged that those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior on stage by a nominee. To be clear, we condemn Mr. Smith’s actions that transpired Sunday night.
As outlined in our bylaws, the Academy’s Board of Governors will now make a determination on appropriate action for Mr. Smith. As governed by California law regarding members of nonprofit organizations like the Academy, and set forth in our Standards of Conduct, this must follow an official process that will take a few weeks.
We will continue to update you on any developments, but we also ask that you respect your Board, Academy staff and the process as this unfolds so it can work in the considered way it was intended and mandated. Please trust that the Board of Governors will conduct this process in a manner that is both expedient and respectful of all involved while maintaining the standards of the Academy.
Thank you,
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
David Rubin, President
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Dawn Hudson
CEO
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.