American actor and film producer Will Smith has issued a public apology for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards on the 27th of March.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Smith cited reasons as to why he had reacted to Chris making jokes about his wife’s hair loss. The joke made by Chris was a reference to Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, an auto-immune disease that causes hair loss. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear, and I reacted emotionally,” he wrote.
He added, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line, and I was wrong. I am embarrassed, and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
The same night, Smith won his first Oscar for his role in King Richard. In his acceptance speech, Smith, tearful, acknowledged the incident. He apologised to his fellow nominees, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars but skipped Chris Rocks’ name. He concluded his speech by saying, “I hope the Academy invites me back.” As per the Los Angeles Police Department, Rock has chosen not to press charges against Smith.
Academy to Take Action
The slap that overshadowed the 94th Academy Awards is far from being mopped under the red carpet. On the 28th of March, the Academy issued a strong statement informing people that it has started a “formal review around the incident” and condemns Smith’s actions.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night’s show. 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.”
It pertains to mention that the Academy’s Board of Governors holds power to discipline members, certainly those who violate their code of conduct. Smith, in this case, can be either suspended or expelled from the Academy.
Pakistan’s Greatest Cultural Strength is Daring & Fearless Artists, Thrilled Zindagi Tamasha is Representing Us At Oscars 2021: Fatima Bhutto. Read the full story here:
Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto is thrilled that Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha has been submitted for Oscar consideration in the International Feature Film Award category for Oscars 2021 by Pakistani Academy Selection Committee. She expressed her joy in a tweet: Pakistan’s greatest cultural strength isn’t our diversity (we are diverse), range (lots of it), or style (brimming with it).
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