Will Smith’s Oscar Slap Under Investigation By the Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a formal review after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” a spokesperson for the organization said to Variety. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”

The Academy had previously released a statement on its official Twitter account, yet did not mention Smith by name.

The Academy does not condone violence of any form.

Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 28, 2022

“The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” read the tweet. “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”

While Smith apologized to the Academy when accepting the Oscar for Best Actor, he did not mention Rock by name.

“I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story. That’s what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and care and concern,” Smith said. “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.”

Smith’s acceptance speech came just moments after he slapped Rock for telling a joke mocking Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia diagnosis.

The Academy’s statement comes after the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Rock declined to file a police report against Smith.

Watch above, via CNN.