King Richard actor, Will Smith surrenders in front of the Academy by resigning.
After all the eloquence at the 94th Academy Awards, where 53-year-old, Will slapped comedian Chris Rock and yelled at him, the actor gave his resignation from AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science). The whole Dolby Theater felt the jolt by the ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’ act of Smith. This was the result of Chris Rock’s joke about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s haircut. This is a sensitive issue for Smith as Jada suffers from hair loss issues. She has been public about it since 2018.
During the same award night, Will won his first-ever oscar for the film King Richard, and in the acceptance speech, he tried to justify his actions. But for audiences, that was not enough as it was misconduct and a violation of the Academy’s rules. Will was asked to leave the award night but he did not agree to do so, as per sources. He enjoyed the after-party of the award show and danced on his win.
Thre whole world and even the major organization condemned his actions. Following this, he posted a long apology note on his Instagram. In the public apology, he expressed regret and said sorry to Chris, The Academy, audiences, attendees, nominees, Williams Family, and the King Richard Family. He mentioned that he was “out of line” and is a work in progress.
Will Smith Resigns From Academy
Smith gave a long statement in which he apologized to everyone who felt traumatized by his rageful ac and it includes many names. In the same statement, he mentioned his resignation from the Academy and will accept any further measures.
On Friday, in the statement, he said, “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 names he mentioned in the statement to whom he apologized were, “Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and the global audience at home.”
Will accepted his embarrassing action and how he spoiled the award night for others. He stated, “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 and 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.”
The long apology note by Will On Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
Adding to this, he announced his resignation, “So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and I 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.”
Academy Still On With The Investigation
After the jaw-dropping moment took place on Sunday at the Dolby Theatres, Academy made an official statement on Wednesday in which it informed the audience that they had commenced disciplinary proceedings against Will. Although Chris refused to press any charges on Will Smith, the Academy is not happy with just an apology.
The president of AMPAS, David Rubin, on Friday said, “[organization] has received and accepted the Smith’s immediate resignation. We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violation of the Academy Standard of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.” Before announcing the inquiry the organization had a meeting in which they presented the five-page long code of conduct. According to some officials, there were discussions behind the stage to ask Will to leave the show and restrain him from taking the award. But at a short notice, this was next to impossible because Will’s name was heavily considered for the award.
The Academy added, “disciplinary actions by the Academy include suspension or expulsion, along with “other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standard of Conduct.”
Future Of Will In The Academy
After the incident got telecasted live, audiences urged that the prestigious trophy should be taken from Will.
But this has happened only once in the history of the academy awards. If we talk about the resignation, this was willingly by Smith and after this, the Men in Black star will not be able to vote for the Oscar nomination that happens every year. However, his works will still be eligible for oscar nominations and consideration in the future. Although there have been talks about how his image is under scrutiny forever. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in our comment section.
Also Read: Hollywood Experts Predict About Will Smith’s Career And His Brand Image After Oscar Slap Incident
