Will Smith had Zoom meeting with Academy brass two days after Oscar slap

Will Smith apologized to President David Rubin and CEO Daybreak Hudson for slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage.
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Academy of Movement Image Arts & Sciences officers met with Will Smith on Tuesday over Zoom earlier than its board of governors had an emergency cellphone name to debate their inquiry over the actor’s Oscar night time assault on Chris Rock.

Throughout the name, Smith, 53, apologized to Academy President David Rubin and CEO Daybreak Hudson, and acknowledged there could be penalties for charging Hollywood’s largest stage and slapping the comedian throughout Sunday night time’s ceremony, a supply instructed Selection.

The actor additionally reportedly tried to clarify why he rushed Rock, who had simply cracked a joke about his spouse Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness, which is brought on by alopecia.

Rubin and Hudson mentioned they had been “outraged” by the assault in a letter they despatched to academy members later that day. The letter said a “formal assessment” into the incident would take weeks.

After Sunday’s meltdown, Smith obtained a standing ovation whereas accepting the Greatest Actor Oscar for his star flip within the tennis drama “King Richard,” and delivered a rambling speech the place he tried to justify his assault moments earlier than.

“Love will make you do loopy issues,” he mentioned. “To do what we do, you bought to have the ability to take abuse. You bought to have the ability to have folks discuss loopy about you. On this enterprise you bought to have the ability to have folks disrespecting you. And you bought to smile, you bought to faux like that’s okay.”

After successful a Greatest Actor Oscar, Smith mentioned, “love will make you do loopy issues,” seemingly referring to the assault.

AFP through Getty Photos

The Academy reportedly requested Smith to depart after the assault and earlier than he was given his award, till a producer allowed the actor to remain.

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He apologized to Rock a day in a while social media.

The Academy initially mentioned it had requested Smith to depart the gala, a press release that was contradicted by a supply who instructed The Submit Oscars producer Will Packer allowed the actor to remain.

The LAPD was ready to arrest Smith for battery, however Rock declined to press expenses, Packer instructed ABC’s “Good Morning America.”