Will Smith case: Chris Rock breaks the silence and the Academy threatens expulsion

Since when Will Smith gave him a slap in the face worldwide, obscuring, in fact, beyond the ceremony, all the winners of the 94th edition of the Oscars, Chris Rock has carefully chosen the path of silence, avoiding answering the questions of journalists and onlookers to address the subject in Boston, on the stage of the Wilbur Theater, in the presence of a thousand spectators. Greeted by a stadium roar, Rock explained that “he is still processing what happened”, and joking with those in attendance asking what their weekend was like. The issue, which sparked unexpected popularity on Rock to the point of driving the prices of his tickets Ego Death Tour to the stars, it is certainly not over here, and is destined to hold the Oscars for a long time yet. The unscripted joke that Chris Rock reserved for Jada Pinkett Smith about her shaved head and the consequent reaction of her husband who first laughed out loud and then, watching his wife’s reaction, took the stage slapping the comedian, led the public to split into two factions: those who agreed with Smith because there are limits within which comedy cannot go and those who are convinced that gagging an artist is a deplorable act and close to censorship .

Beyond what you think, it is clear that violence cannot be accepted under any circumstanceswhich is why the Academy is discussing how to move towards Will Smith, who would be taking risks at the moment “Suspension, expulsion or other permitted sanctions”. The statement from the Academy leaves no room for opening, as Smith is accused of “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior and compromising the integrity of the Academy.” A detail that we did not know is that, shortly after the fact and before receiving the Oscar as Best Actor for A Winning Family – King Richard, the Academy asked Smith to leave the Dolby Theater meeting, however, the refusal of the actor, who preferred to stay where he was. “We recognize that we could have handled the situation differently,” reads the statement from the Academy, which immediately apologized to Rock, the other candidates who attended the ceremony and the spectators from home and in person who attended. at the event.

The letter signed by Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson reads: “Mr. Rock, we apologize for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience at that time. We also apologize to our candidates, guests and spectators for what happened during what should have been a celebratory event ». The disciplinary process on Smith for violating the Academy’s standards of conduct is ongoing: a new board meeting is set for next April 18th, date on which the plaintiff could be suspended or expelled. During an episode of The ViewWhoopi Goldberg, a member of the Board of Governors, said, however, that it is very difficult that Will Smith’s Oscar will be removed: “There will be consequences, sure, but I don’t think they will go that far.” After all, when Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy in October 2017, no one thought of canceling the statuette. Shakespeare in Lovenot to mention Roman Polanski who, after being convicted in 1978 for raping a 13-year-old girl before fleeing to France, still won an Oscar in 2002 for directing The pianist.

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