Will Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences on Friday, and said he was willing to accept ‘any further consequences’ for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars.
In a statement, the actor said: “My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.” He added: “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film,” read his statement.
Academy president David Rubin said Will's resignation was accepted. "We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18,” he said.
With his resignation, Will loses his voting rights on Oscar-nominated performances.
The leaders of the Academy had met Will to discuss the ongoing slap incident, before the emergency board meeting on Thursday. During the Zoom meeting, Smith apologised for his action and also expressed his awareness that there would be consequences, Variety reported.
Will was asked to leave the Oscar ceremony after the incident, but he refused to do so, the Academy said on Wednesday. In his first public appearance since the Sunday episode at a comedy club, Rock received a standing ovation from the audience. Though he did not directly mention the Oscars incident, he said he was still 'kind of processing' what had happened.
