“Things happened in a way we couldn’t have imagined,” the Academy said.
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“We would like to say that Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, but at the same time we realize that we could have dealt with the situation differently,” the statement said.
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The actions of Smith, who got up after an inappropriate joke about his wife’s address and went to the podium to slap a surprised Rock, were described by the Academy as “deeply shocking and traumatizing.”
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“Mr. Rock, we apologize for what you experienced on our stage, and thank you for your resilience at this time,” the film organization added.
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The organizers are now reviewing the incident and do not rule out that Smith will be punished. Although it’s probably not in the game to take away the award he won that night for his role as Richard Williams in the film King Richard: The birth of championson the contrary, a ban on personal participation in subsequent years is likely.
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The Los Angeles Police Department said on Sunday night that Rock had refused to sue Smith. The actor publicly apologized to both the Academy and Rock on Tuesday and admitted that he “exaggerated”.
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