Industry Source Claims Having Will Smith ‘Removed’ from Oscars Was “Definitely Discussed Seriously”
Last night’s Oscars might have put the award show back on the map, and the show might be over, but the inside chatter has just begun.
According to PEOPLE, an inside industry source claims that the show’s organizers allegedly discussed having Oscar winner Will Smith removed from the show.
“Behind the scenes there were a lot of people, and different voices and bifurcated opinions, weighing in on what had just happened and what was the best and quickest course of action. People were also checking that Chris Rock was okay.”
“Basically there were just minutes to first figure out if it was a stunt and then try and get people on the same page — including the producers, ABC, the Academy, reps who were not all in the same place or all looking at their phones in real-time, and even to see if Chris wanted to press charges,” the source claims.
The LAPD later confirmed that Chris Rick did not want to file charges and Diddy shared that Will Smith and Chris Rock hatched things out after the ceremony.
“You can’t plan for something like this and make a split-second decision that needs everyone’s buy-in, and in any iteration that would have consequences,” the insider added
In a statement following the awards, the Academy said, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
Watch the moment Will Smith goes on stage at the Oscars and hits comedian Chris Rock after he makes joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smithhttps://t.co/mDQKMc3nXd pic.twitter.com/IsEefJdlj4
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 28, 2022