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Tuesday November 05, 2024

Will Smith Oscars slapgate: The Academy admits their response was ‘inadequate’

The Academy addresses Will Smith Oscars controversy during the Oscar nominees luncheon

By Web Desk
February 14, 2023

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Will Smith’s Oscars slapgate which created a buzz in the world of entertainment was addressed during the Oscar nominees luncheon in front of guests like Tom Cruise, Cate Blanchett etc.

President of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Janet Yang, talked about the incident without mentioning the monikers of either the King Richard actor or Chris Rock.

Yang accepted that the initial response of the Academy on the headline making incident was “inadequate” while promising that they will be “fully transparent” going forward.

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

Yang promised, “You should and can expect no less form us going forward.”

For the unversed, Smith slapped Rock on-stage during the 94th Academy Awards after he cracked a joke on his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Emancipation actor resigned from Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just days after the slapgate.

Later on, the Academy banned Smith for the next 10 years from attending the Oscars and all related Academy events.