The Academy says response to Will Smith’s Oscars slap was ‘inadequate’

Nearly one year on from the jaw-dropping moment when Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage to slap Chris Rock, the Academy has issued a blunt statement.

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars. Picture: Robyn Beck / AFP

The Academy has admitted that its handling of the infamous Will Smith “slapgate” at the 2022 Oscars was “inadequate.”

The organisation, which votes on nominees, winners, and hosts of the annual ceremony, said that it will be “fully transparent” in the future, reports the New York Post.

At the organisation’s luncheon hosted for this year’s Oscar nominees, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang spoke about last year’s disastrous event.

“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she said, according to Variety.

“What happened onstage was fully unacceptable and the response from our organisation was inadequate.”

“We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately, and decisively for ourselves and for our industry,” she continued.

“You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”

The slap that shocked the world. Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP

During last year’s Oscar Awards live broadcast, Smith, 54, walked onto the stage and struck Rock across the face after the funnyman made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock, 58, compared Pinkett Smith — who suffers from alopecia and shaved her head last summer — to Demi Moore’s bald character G.I. Jane, prompting the slap from Smith.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth!” Smith then shouted — twice — after returning to his seat.

Smith went on to win Best Actor shortly afterward. Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP

Less than an hour after, Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard, and even received a standing ovation from the audience.

The Fresh Prince star seemingly partied without a care in the world at the Vanity Fair afterparty that night, but the consequences that followed were not so glamorous.

Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following the uproar about his actions. He has also been banned from any Academy events for the next 10 years.

The 2023 Academy Awards take place on March 12.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as The Academy says response to Will Smith’s Oscars slap was ‘inadequate’