LOS ANGELES — Following Sunday night’s stunning altercation at the Oscars, in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, the motion picture academy announced Monday it is conducting a formal review of Smith’s conduct.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the organization said. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences enacted a code of conduct for its members in 2017 in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal. “There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency,” the group said at the time. “If any member is found by the Board of Governors to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions, the Board of Governors may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s bylaws, including suspension or expulsion.”
