NEW YORK (AP) – The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday’s Oscars ceremony after meeting Chris Rock, but declined to do so.
The academy’s board of directors met on Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said disciplinary action against Smith could include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.
Many have focused on why Smith was allowed to sit front-row at the Dolby Theater after the incident. On Wednesday, the academy suggested it was trying to remove the actor from the audience.
“Things developed in a way that we could not have foreseen,” the academy said. “While we want to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize that we could have handled the situation differently.”
An academy representative declined to give details of how attempts were made to remove Smith. After Smith Rock slammed in response to a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, several stars including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry spoke to Smith, 53.
The academy said Smith has an opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18. The film academy previously condemned Smith’s attack on Rock on stage but used harsher language on Wednesday.
“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in person and on television,” the Academy said. Rock, we apologize for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in this moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what happened during a celebratory event.”
On Monday, Smith apologized to Rock, the Academy and viewers, saying, “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Rock, who has yet to publicly respond to the incident, performed in Boston on Wednesday night. He was greeted with a thunderous standing ovation.
“How was your weekend?” began Rock, who then warned the crowd that he doesn’t have much to say about the Oscars just yet, according to audio posted by Hollywood retail outlet Variety. “I’m still processing what happened”
A Smith representative did not immediately respond to news Wednesday regarding the academy’s latest moves.
Only a very small number of Academy members have ever been expelled, including Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing screening awards.
Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, said Monday in The View, “We’re not going to take that Oscar away from him.” (Even Oscars won by expelled members have not previously been asked to be returned.) Goldberg added that “no one agrees with what happened.”
Others from Sunday’s TV show also began speaking out. Co-host Wanda Sykes told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview scheduled to air April 7 that she felt physically ill after Smith hit Rock. Returning to his seat, Smith twice yelled at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your (eloquent) mouth.”
“I’m still a little traumatized by that,” Sykes said in a clip released Wednesday.
Within an hour, Smith was back on stage, accepting the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard. Many in the Dolby Theater gave him a standing ovation.
“I thought, how gross is that? That’s the wrong message. You attack someone and are escorted out of the building and that’s it. But the fact that they let him continue was disgusting,” Sykes said. “I wanted to be able to run[on stage]after he won and be like, ‘Uh, unfortunately Will couldn’t be here tonight.'”