A day after the incident, a letter from the Academy's President, David Rubin, and its CEO, Dawn Hudson, were sent out to the all members of the Academy. They expressed their “outrage” concerning Smith’s actions and how it “overshadowed” the event.
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Will Smith’s fate at subsequent Oscars to be decided next month
The Board of Governors of the Academy Awards have decided to make their final pronouncement on the type of disciplinary action they will take on Will Smith's behaviour at its meeting next month.
Will Smith
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According to a statement by the Academy, it will not leave any disciplinary action off the table when it convenes at its next board meeting.
“At the next board meeting on April 18, the Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct.”
However, Smith has been given 15 days to send a written response to be heard prior to the meeting.
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“Consistent with the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, as well as California law, Mr. Smith is being provided at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response.”
The statement thanked Chris Rock for his composure after the “shocking” actions of Smith.
“Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television. Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.
“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
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