The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent a letter to its members addressing the 'slapgate' incident that occurred during the Oscars ceremony on Sunday evening. The incident involved Hollywood superstar Will Smith walking onto the stage and slapping comedian-host Chris Rock for his joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's appearance. The board has informed its members about its course of action regarding the incident in their letter obtained by Variety. Signed by Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, the letter read, "Sunday’s telecast of the 94th Oscars was meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year. We are upset and outraged that those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour on stage by a nominee."
The Academy further stated, "To be clear, we condemn Mr. Smith's actions that transpired Sunday night. As outlined in our bylaws, the Academy's Board of Governors will now make a determination on appropriate action for Mr. Smith. As governed by California law regarding members of nonprofit organisations like the Academy, and set forth in our Standards of Conduct, this must follow an official process that will take a few weeks." It concluded by saying, "We will continue to update you on any developments, but we also ask that you respect your Board, Academy staff and the process as this unfolds so it can work in the considered way it was intended and mandated. Please trust that the Board of Governors will conduct this process in a manner that is both expedient and respectful of all involved while maintaining the standards of the Academy."
Will Smith, who won his first Oscar award for his performance in King Richard, had issued an apology to the Academy in his acceptance speech. He also expressed his regret at the incident to Chris Rock through an Instagram post. Reuters has reported that the Los Angeles Police Department was aware of the slapgate incident, but has not launched a probe as Chris Rock didn't file a police report.
