Will Smith’s tense acceptance speech at the Oscars drew criticism from some of his peers. While he received a standing ovation for his speech, some in the audience were appalled by his behavior. In an effort to regain their respect, Smith later apologized to fellow academy members on social media. He later went on to accept the Best Actor award.
Smith later apologized on Twitter to the Academy and fellow nominees. Although he did apologize for his behavior, he did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. The Academy issued a statement on its Twitter account, redirecting the conversation back to the night’s winners. As a result, there is a high likelihood that some type of sanction will be imposed, including a suspension of Smith’s membership.
Though Smith resigned from the acting branch of the Academy, he can still be nominated for an Academy Award in the future. His April Fool’s Day decision effectively neutered the Academy. Nevertheless, he has to live up to the standards of conduct rules to be considered for nominations in the future.
Following a scandal at the Oscars, the Academy has condemned the behavior of actor Will Smith. The Academy is now conducting a formal review of the incident. Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. While Smith has publicly apologized for his actions, Chris Rock has not apologized to Smith.
