The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent a letter to its members addressing the incident that occurred at the Oscars ceremony, when Will Smith walked onto the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The letter, obtained by 'Variety', states that Academy leadership is "upset and outraged" over the altercation and how it "overshadowed" a celebration of the film industry community.
A letter, signed by Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson, obtained by Variety read, “Sunday’s telecast of the 94th Oscars was meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year. We are upset and outraged that those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour on stage by a nominee. To be clear, we condemn Mr. Smith's actions that transpired Sunday night. As outlined in our bylaws, the Academy's Board of Governors will now make a determination on appropriate action for Mr. Smith. As governed by California law regarding members of nonprofit organisations like the Academy, and set forth in our Standards of Conduct, this must follow an official process that will take a few weeks."
It further read, "We will continue to update you on any developments, but we also ask that you respect your Board, Academy staff and the process as this unfolds so it can work in the considered way it was intended and mandated. Please trust that the Board of Governors will conduct this process in a manner that is both expedient and respectful of all involved while maintaining the standards of the Academy."
The Academy also released a statement regarding the incident shortly after the awards ceremony concluded on Sunday evening: "The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
(Source: IANS/Variety)
