Disciplinary Proceedings Begin Following On-Stage Altercation with Chris Rock

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has disclosed that Will Smith was asked to leave the 2022 Oscars ceremony after slapping comedian Chris Rock but refused to comply. The altercation occurred after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, referencing her short hairstyle, linked to her struggle with alopecia. Despite this incident, Smith later received a standing ovation when he won the Best Actor award. In response to the altercation, the Academy’s board of governors has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Smith for breaching the Academy’s code of conduct. The organization acknowledged that, in hindsight, the situation could have been handled differently, and stated that the actor’s removal was attempted but ultimately unsuccessful. Smith later apologized to Rock on social media, stating, “I am a work in progress.”