Could Will Smith lose his Oscar for hitting Chris Rock?

By Rhythm Sachdeva

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    TORONTO (CTV Network) — Shortly before winning his first Academy Award on Sunday night, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The incident made headlines around the world and prompted the Academy to tweet that it “does not condone violence of any form.”

But did Smith’s actions violate the Academy’s code of conduct and could that result in his award being rescinded?

The Academy followed up with another statement on Monday, saying that it “condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show.”

They also announced that they have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with their bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.

In the wake of the #MeToo scandal, the Academy updated its code of conduct in 2017 to address issues of harassment and abuse. The guidelines emphasized the importance of “upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity.”

CEO Dawn Hudson said at the time that “there is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency.

“The Academy is categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, or nationality. The Board of Governors believes that these standards are essential to the Academy’s mission and reflective of our values.”

The code of conduct states the Academy’s board can suspend or expel those who violate the code or who “compromise the integrity” of the Academy. But the Academy has not yet publicly said whether Smith’s on-stage slap is considered a violation of the code.

Aron Solomon, the chief legal analyst for Esquire Digital, said there is a small possibility that Smith’s Oscar could be rescinded – although it’s unlikely.

“They can only rescind his Oscar if what he did was against the specific code of conduct. But, we’ve got people like Roman Polanski who’ve done some pretty dastardly things and haven’t had their Oscars rescinded,” he told CTVNews.ca on Monday.

“So I think this is an interesting theoretical question, but practically, I think he’s going to keep the Oscar.”

Following multiple accusations of sexual assault, producer Harvey Weinstein was kicked out of the Academy in 2017.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Monday that Rock declined to press charges against Smith. But Solomon said there’s a chance that Rock could still file a civil suit against Smith.

“If what happened last night can affect (Rock’s) ability to go out there and earn a living and do things like host the Academy Award, then who knows whether he might file a civil suit against someone like Will Smith?” he said.

During his Oscar acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident but did not mention Rock by name.

On Monday evening, the day after the incident on the Oscars stage, Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,” said Smith.

“My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. 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.”

The 53-year-old actor added apologies to the film academy, producers of the telecast, attendees, viewers and the Williams family. Smith was honored Sunday for his role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, in “King Richard.”

Richard Williams weighed in on the incident on Monday, condemning Smith’s actions.

Speaking through his son and spokesman Chavoita LeSane, Richard Williams told NBC News: “We don’t know all the details of what happened, but we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

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Sonja Puzic