LOS ANGELES — As the sting of Will Smith’s hand striking Chris Rock’s face begins to fade, a big question remains: What, if anything, will the film academy do to punish the “King Richard” Oscar winner for his inappropriate on-camera behavior?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that it had asked Smith to leave the ceremony but the actor refused to do so. (Then again, maybe it didn’t ask?)
The organization said its board of governors had “initiated disciplinary proceedings” against Smith for violations of its standards of conduct, a code that was updated in late 2017 by a task force that was formed in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The code specifically prohibits “abusive or threatening behavior,” which presumably includes smacking a peer in front of an audience of 15.4 million people.
