Will Smith, who is currently facing possible expulsion or suspension after assaulting comedian Chris Rock during Sunday’s Oscars, has made the decision to resign from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday (April 1).

 

 

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In a newly released statement, Will writes:

 

“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. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

 

Academy president David Rubin replied to Will’s resignation, saying in a statement, “We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  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.”

 

After Chris made a joke about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will charged the stage and struck Chris across the face.

 

 

 

On Monday, Will made a public apology to Chris saying, “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.  I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris.  I was out of line and I was wrong.  I am embarrassed and my actions were not indictive of the man I want to be.  There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

 

 

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According to Variety, “After initially offering up a statement that said it did not condone violence, the Academy followed up with two subsequent statements that more forcefully criticized Smith.  On Wednesday, the group said Smith had violated the Academy’s standards of conduct and that he had 15 days to provide a written response explaining his actions.  The organization said Smith faced suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.”

 

And on Wednesday Chris Rock broke his silence during his show in Boston, “I’m still kind of processing what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about that s**t. And it will be serious and funny,” he told the crowd.

 

Filed under: Chris Rock, Will Smith