The slapgate involving actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock is becoming bigger. Will Smith has resigned from the elite Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a result of his Oscars smackdown with Chris Rock. Smith submitted his resignation and stated that he will accept any additional punishments imposed by the Board.
Smith also described his conduct at the 94th Academy Awards as “shocked, unpleasant, and unacceptable.” His resignation has been accepted by the Academy, but he has been cautioned that his problems will not go away anytime soon. When Smith hit Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s health condition, he surprised the audience as well as millions watching the Oscars on TV.
In a statement, Academy President David Rubin addressed the resignation and ongoing debate. Rubin said in a statement to People magazine, “We have received and accepted Mr Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”
“In advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18, we will continue to press forward with our disciplinary processes against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct,” Rubin said. Smith announced his resignation after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday, prompting the statement.
