The producer says that after the blow, agents entered into a conversation with Rock. If the comedian would file a report, the police promised to arrest the American actor immediately. They said, according to Packer: “This is assault, we can arrest him now.” The comedian didn’t want to hear about that. “No, no, I’m okay,” Packer reportedly said. He also refused to file a complaint.
Packer, who was hired by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to produce the Oscars, said in an interview with Good Morning America that he didn’t speak to Smith on Sunday night.
The Academy announced on Wednesday that the organization has initiated disciplinary proceedings over the incident. The American actor risks being suspended or expelled as a member.
During the live-streamed awards ceremony, Smith took the stage after Rock joked about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance. He then punched Rock in the face.
Less than an hour later, Smith delivered an emotional speech after receiving the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard†
On Monday, the actor apologized in a statement to Rock, the Academy (the organization that awards the Oscars), the producers of the gala and TV viewers. In it, Smith stated that he had “gone too far and reacted emotionally.”