The Academy has opened a formal investigation and could sanction Will Smith’s violent gesture towards comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars evening on Sunday. The latter will not file a complaint against the actor, whose slap was seen by 15 million people live and has fueled many conversations in Hollywood and everywhere else since Sunday evening.
Posted at 10:41 a.m.
Updated at 7:48 p.m.
“The Academy condemns Mr. Smith’s actions on last night’s show,” an Academy spokesperson said Monday, according to US media reports, including the magazine variety. “We have officially launched a formal investigation into the incident and will explore further actions and consequences in accordance with our statutes, standards of conduct and California law. »
variety indicates that Will Smith could face disciplinary action or penalties, but is unlikely to have to give up his award.
The latter apologized to Chris Rock on Monday evening, through a publication on the social network Instagram.
“My behavior last night at the Oscars was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but one joke about Jada’s health issue was too much for me and I reacted emotionally,” Smith said. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. What I did was inappropriate and I was wrong,” he continues.
Unlike Will Smith’s six-minute speech when he was crowned Best Actor for his performance in King Richard, the initial position of the Academy was very succinct. “The Academy does not tolerate any form of violence”, could we simply read on the Twitter account of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), organizer of the most prestigious evening of cinema.
No one was mentioned in the tweet, but needless to say, it was about the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock, which overshadowed the celebratory moments of the evening. “Tonight, we are delighted to celebrate our 94are Oscar winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and moviegoers around the world,” the Academy continued in the Academy’s sole tweet echoing the event.
In a gesture so unlikely that many have long believed it to be a parade, Will Smith climbed onto the Oscars stage, where the host of the evening, Chris Rock, was to strike him a violent blow in the face. Smith was reacting to a joke from Rock (improvised, according to the magazine variety) on the hair loss of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. After returning to his seat, the 53-year-old actor shouted twice, “Keep my wife’s name out of your goddamn mouth,” as shock waves rippled through the room.
Comedian Chris Rock has refused to press charges against Will Smith. The Los Angeles Police Department said it was “aware of an incident between two people at the Oscars party.” “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved declined to file a complaint with the police, a statement said. If the affected party wants a police report at a later date, the LAPD [Los Angeles Police Department] will be available to complete an investigation report. »
Celebrities react on social networks
“And that’s how we do it” [And that’s how we do it], Will Smith’s son, Jaden, tweeted Sunday night. The ambiguity of the declaration does not make it possible to know if he was commenting on the victory of his father or his gesture with regard to Chris Rock.
“I want to apologize to the Academy,” said Will Smith, in tears, in his acceptance speech after winning the golden statuette for best actor for his role in King Richard. I want to apologize to all my selected colleagues. It’s a beautiful moment and I’m not crying because I won an award. It’s not about winning a prize for me. It is about being able to be a bringer of light for everyone. In a joking tone, he ended his speech by saying, “I hope the Academy invites me back. »
At the microphone of the journalist variety during the party organized by Vanity Fair after the ceremony, author and actor Kenya Barris mentioned the fact that there must “be a clear distinction between work and home”, but that the Hollywood medium seems to forget it. “Entertainment is entertainment, your job is your job, your home is your home,” the series creator said. Black-ish and Grown-ish.
The reactions were numerous following the attack broadcast live, relayed on all social platforms in recent hours. “It is very bad practice to go on stage and physically assault a comedian,” tweeted comedian Kathy Griffin. Now we all have to be afraid of who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters. »
Rapper Cardi B paraphrased on Twitter a line Denzel Washington allegedly said to Will Smith after the incident (according to the latter, who reported the words during his speech): “At your highest moment…be careful, c is where the devil is trying to get you. »
Another rapper, Nicki Minaj, came to the defense of both Chris Rock and Will Smith in a tweet on Monday: “I love Chris Rock. I don’t think he would have made that joke if he had known what Jada recently revealed – but between him and the entire team at the Oscars, you mean none of you have heard of this woman tell this heartbreaking story? You have witnessed in real time what happens to a man’s soul when he looks at the woman he loves and sees her hold back tears over a “little prank” she does. That’s what every real man feels right now. While you see the joke, he sees his pain. »
“Will Smith said ‘not today’,” commented Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) on social media. “A man big enough to knock him down slapped him softly enough that Chris barely moved as he mocked his wife’s alopecia on the world stage. Don’t say #protectBlackwomen for two years and then only condemn Will. »
Also on Twitter, actress Sophia Bush wrote, in a message liked 28,000 times: “Violence is not acceptable. Aggression is never the answer. Too ? It’s the 2and times Chris makes fun of Jada on the Oscars stage and tonight he went after her alopecia. Attacking someone’s autoimmune disease is a mistake. Doing it on purpose is cruel. »
“What I saw was one of Hollywood’s most powerful movie stars take the stage to punch a comedian for an unfortunate joke about his (beautiful) wife’s shaved head. Anyone who agrees with that has probably never been hit by a powerful man. As we advise our children, ‘use your words’,” actress Mia Farrow wrote on her Twitter page.
With Agence France-Presse