The Hollywood film academy did not adequately respond to Will Smith’s blow to Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last March. The chairman of the organization said this on Monday during a meeting of this year’s Oscar nominees.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was criticized last year for not taking action after the incident and allowing Smith to remain in his seat after attacking Rock on stage. Later in the evening he even received the award for best actor.
“What happened on stage was totally unacceptable,” Academy president Janet Yang said on the incident at the annual Oscar nominee luncheon in Beverly Hills. ,,And the response of the organization was insufficient. From this we have learned that the academy must act fully transparently and appropriately, especially in times of crisis,” she added.
Joke about husband
The incident was prompted by Chris Rock’s joke about Smith’s wife’s bald head. However, she suffers from an illness that causes her to suffer from extreme hair loss. The joke went so wrong with Smith that he walked on stage and slapped Rock.
Smith resigned from the academy after the incident, and the academy banned him from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years. The actor remains eligible to win an Academy Award.
Attendees at Tuesday’s lunch included nominees Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett. The winners will be announced during a live broadcast on March 12.
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