The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday afternoon convicted actor Will Smith of slapping comedian Chris Rock during Sunday's live broadcast of the Oscars and announced it will investigate the matter.
"The Academy condemns Mr. Smith's actions on last night's show," the association said in a statement Monday.
"We have officially begun a formal review of the incident and will review
further actions and consequences in accordance with our statutes, standards of conduct and California law,"
he added.
[“Pure rage and violence out of control”: celebrities' reactions to Will Smith's slap in the face of Chris Rock]
Smith, who won his first Oscar for best actor later that night, reacted to a joke about his wife by going up on stage and punching Rock.
During the presentation of the award for best documentary film, Rock said that he was excited for Jada Pinkett Smith to star in
GI Jane 2
, referring to her shaved head.
Bradley Cooper, left, and Will Smith, during the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Chris Pizzello / Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed that she was diagnosed with alopecia, a condition that causes hair to fall out.
The Academy allowed Smith to go onstage and give a speech after the slap,
when he won best actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in
King Richard.
In social networks they question the Academy for allowing Will Smith to receive the Oscar after hitting a colleague
March 28, 202201:58
Rock kept his composure after the incident at the Dolby Theater, joking that it was "the best night in television history."
On Monday, the comedian declined to press charges, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.