Could Will Smith lose the Oscar? The Academy code condemns violence

A few hours before the award event in the world of cinema there are calls to the Academy to dispossess Will Smith of his Oscar for Best Actor after went on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who was presenting an award on stage, after making a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair. The Academy, in its code of conduct, is known to have a very negative view of violence of any kind.

Will Smith and Chris Rock have already made amends after the Oscars slap, says rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

After the award ceremony ended, he tweeted: ‘The Academy does not condone violence in any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate the winners of the 94th Academy Awards, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and film lovers around the world.’

The Academy reinstated its Code of Conduct in 2017 during the Me Too Movement. “Academy membership is a privilege offered only to a select few within the global filmmaking community,” AMPAS Executive Director Dawn Hudson wrote to members following several scandals in the industry.

Was it in the script?

On Sunday night at the Dolby Theater there was complete bewilderment in the moments after the assault with those present initially wondering if the hit was part of a stunt. The normally unflappable Rock took a few minutes to process, but Smith’s colorful language quickly confirmed that this was no joke at all.

In a moment that caused awkward silence and confusion in the Dolby Theater, Smith walked up to Rock and punched him in the face, before returning to his seat next to Jada and yelling obscenities.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” Smith yelled, prompting producers to interrupt several seconds of audio from the televised broadcast.

Jada Pinkett Smith, who is also an actress, suffers from alopecia and publicly revealed her diagnosis in 2018.

The hit threw the entire Oscars telecast into chaos, as producers frantically forced to decide how to deal with the on-air assault, with Smith yet to receive his Best Actor statuette.

Best Actor Award

During his emotional speech after winning Hollywood’s top honor for his role in “King Richard,” Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident, but did not mention Rock by name.

According to Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter, present at the theater, A tearful Smith had to be “pulled aside and comforted” by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry during a commercial break.

“Will and Chris, we are going to solve this as a family. At this time, we move forward with love,” said singer and actor Sean “Diddy” Combs, introducing the next section of the gala. (I)