Academy launches formal investigation against Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock. Could this cost 'King Richard' star his Oscar?

In a statement the Academy said that it ‘condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night’s show’.

AP
However, the actor soon regretted his action, or after his anger cooled down, he realised the gravity of his misconduct, and apologised profusely to the academy, Chris Rock and all present in the audience.
Will Smith’s worst nightmare about his misconduct at the Oscars may be coming true. The actor, who lost his cool, and slapped Chris Rock on Oscars stage after the comedian tried to take a jibe at his wife, is going to be subjected to ‘formal review’ for his actions, according to a statement issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences.

In a statement released to the press, the Academy said that it ‘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," the statement added.

While the moment Will Smith struck Chris Rock may had gone viral immediately, the academy took a whole day to take stock of the situation before issuing the formal statement.


Previously, the Academy had tweeted saying, "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. "

Also read | Oscars 2022 winners: 'CODA' bags Best Picture; Will Smith, Jessica Chastain win Best Actor, Best Actress. Here's the complete list

Yesterday, as Chris Rock took the stage to introduce the Best Documentary feature, he made a joke about Smith’s wife and compared the actor’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith to 'G.I. Jane' because of her bald head. For those of you who do not know, Pinkett-Smith had previously opened up about a hair loss condition which she suffers from, that causes the baldness.

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After hearing Rock’s dig, Will Smith went onto the stage, and slapped the presenter. The ‘Men In Black’ actor then screamed twice at the top of his lungs, "Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth,” and walked away.

Oscars After-Party: Serena's Outfit Change; Billie Eilish Crops Her Gown; Kardarshians Show Up
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If you thought the 94th Academy Awards was exciting, the Vanity Fair Oscar After-Party 2022 is where the fun really begins. The stars quickly changed their outfits to dazzle at the much-awaited after-party.

If you thought the 94th Academy Awards was exciting, the Vanity Fair Oscar After-Party 2022 is where the fun really begins. The stars quickly changed their outfits to dazzle at the much-awaited after..
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All eyes were on Jessica Chastain and Ariana DeBose, who won the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, at the after-party. While the 'In The Eyes Tammy Faye' star wore a shimmery green gown, the 'West Side Story' actress opted for a little-black dress. (Image: AFP & Reuters)

All eyes were on Jessica Chastain and Ariana DeBose, who won the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, at the after-party. While the 'In The Eyes Tammy Faye' star wore a shimmery gr..
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After his outburst, Will Smith attended the after-party with wife Jada Pinkett Smith - who changed her outfit to a dazzling gold, off-shoulder gown.

After his outburst, Will Smith attended the after-party with wife Jada Pinkett Smith - who changed her outfit to a dazzling gold, off-shoulder gown.

Dressed in black tux and purple shirt, actress Zendaya wore a power suit for the after-party.

Dressed in black tux and purple shirt, actress Zendaya wore a power suit for the after-party.

Singer Billie Eilish, who won her first Oscar for Best Original Song for writing the title track 'No Time to Die', opted for a cropped-version of her dramatic black dress for the Oscar after-party.

Singer Billie Eilish, who won her first Oscar for Best Original Song for writing the title track 'No Time to Die', opted for a cropped-version of her dramatic black dress for the Oscar after-party.

Power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend opted for shades of white for the after-party. Hand-in-hand, the duo dazzled the red carpet.

Power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend opted for shades of white for the after-party. Hand-in-hand, the duo dazzled the red carpet.

Model-actress Emily Ratajkowski's jaw-dropping appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party can't be missed. She opted for an orange top with a centre split and a black, long skirt.

Model-actress Emily Ratajkowski's jaw-dropping appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party can't be missed. She opted for an orange top with a centre split and a black, long skirt.

Summer is here for model Heidi Klum. She attended the after-party with husband Tom Kaulitz.

Summer is here for model Heidi Klum. She attended the after-party with husband Tom Kaulitz.

Actress Isla Fisher dazzled in white, off-shoulder gown, and completed her look with a loosely tied braid.

Actress Isla Fisher dazzled in white, off-shoulder gown, and completed her look with a loosely tied braid.

Dressed in a off-shoulder gown, Jessica Alba marked her attendance with producer-husband Cash Warren for the after-party.

Dressed in a off-shoulder gown, Jessica Alba marked her attendance with producer-husband Cash Warren for the after-party.

However, the actor soon regretted his action, or after his anger cooled down, he realised the gravity of his misconduct, and apologised profusely to the academy, Chris Rock and all present in the audience when he took the stage to receive his Best Actor Award for his performance in ‘King Richard’.

Smith, with tears rolling down his eyes, said, “ In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that's OK. But Richard Williams, and what I loved, thank you D. Denzel (Washington) said to me a few minutes ago, he said, 'At your highest moment, be careful. That's when the devil comes for you.'"

Also Read | 'CODA' scripts history as Troy Kostur becomes 1st deaf man to win an Oscar; Jane Campion trumps Spielberg, finally, after 29 yrs

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The actor further added that he wanted to apologize to the Academy and all his fellow nominees. “This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me…I'm hoping the Academy invites me back. Thank you,” he concluded.

Will he be invited back at the Oscars or is there a scope that he can lose the award he has won because of his behaviour? The Academy will deliberate on the matter and make a decision soon, we hope.

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Oscars 2022: Most Memorable Moments From The 94th Academy Awards
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The Oscars 2022 in-person award show returned after two years of being silent due to the pandemic. Here are some of the most memorable and shocking moments from the 94th Academy Awards.

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During the live telecast, three female hosts - Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall - joked about several issues including pay equity as they said that hiring three female hosts was "cheaper than one man".

Leonardo DiCaprio has "done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends," said Schumer, joking about his penchant for younger women.

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Ariana DeBose received the first Oscar of the evening as she became the first Afro-Latina and openly LBGTQ actor to win an Academy Award for supporting actress.

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Host Regina Hall called the 'sexy' actors such as Bradley Cooper, Timothee Chalamet and more on the stage for a random Covid testing so that she can "test them, naked, backstage, do swab test with her tongue". She then went on to grope Josh Brolin. Awkward ... !

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To help regain the cultural spotlight, the Oscars leaned heavily on musical performances, opening the ceremony with Beyonce who sang her heart out through an elaborated show shot at Compton tennis court. Next in line was Billie Eilish who delivered a moving performance by singing 'No Time To Die' from the last Bond encounter.

To help regain the cultural spotlight, the Oscars leaned heavily on musical performances, opening the ceremony with Beyonce who sang her heart out through an elaborated show shot at Compton tennis co..
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Troy Kotsur became the first hearing-impaired man to win an Oscar. He took home the trophy for his supportive fisherman-Dad role in family drama 'CODA', which is a remake of a 2014 French film La Famille Bélier.

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The Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis led a 30-second moment of silence for Ukraine. Some stars, like Sean Penn, had lobbied the Academy to have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak at the ceremony.

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Oscars producers had promised to highlight not just this year's nominated films, but classic movies of the past, which included a segment on the 50th anniversary of 'The Godfather' which brought Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro to the stage. Uma Thurman and John Travolta also performed their distinctive dance from 'Pulp Fiction', before Samuel L Jackson withdrew the best actor envelope from the film's mysterious glowing briefcase. There was also a video montage of James Bond films, bizarrely introduced by sporting stars Shaun White, Tony Hawk, and Kelly Slater.

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Campion was honoured as best director at the Academy Awards for the unconventional Western 'The Power of the Dog'. The 67-year-old film-maker's victory marks the first time the directing award has gone to women in back-to-back years, with Chloe Zhao winning last year for 'Nomadland'. Campion is the third woman to win in the category and the first woman to be nominated twice for directing, triumphed over a field that included Steven Spielberg for the remake of 'West Side Story'.'

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A remark delivered by comedian Chris Rock on Jada Pinkett Smith did not go down well with Will Smith, which led to Sunday night's biggest moment - a nominated actor slapping a presenter on live telecast. The unprecedented physical altercation upstaged the final half hour of the show, including Smith's Best Actor honour, and will certainly go down as one of the most memorable moments in Oscar history.

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