Smith, 53, is facing disciplinary action over a quarrel with Rock over a comedian joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett, while on stage at the Oscars on Sunday (March 27th). The actor shocked the live audience at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles when he came on stage and hit Rock in the face with an open hand. Smith returned to his seat, shouting at Rock to keep Pinkett Smith’s name away from “his mouth.” Smith has since issued an official statement apologizing to the comedian. Now, Oscar-winning producer Will Packer revealed in an upcoming interview with Good Morning America that the Los Angeles Police Department told Rock they were “ready” to arrest Smith, adding that the slap was tantamount to “battery.” “They said, you know, this is a battery, it was a word they were using at the time,” Packer said in an excerpt from an ABC interview released Thursday (March 31st). “They said ‘we’re going to get him.’ We are prepared. We are ready to take him now. “You can make accusations, we can arrest him.” “They showed the choices,” he said, adding that Rock was “very reluctant” about the idea. “It was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,’” Packer said. And at the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.’ LAPD officials completed the presentation of his options and said, “Would you like us to take some action?” And he said, “No.” Packer has previously described the moment when Smith hit Rock as “too painful” to watch, after one of his tweets was criticized on the internet. Shortly after the Oscars were over, Packer wrote on Twitter: “Well… I said it would not be boring.” Register “Blacks have a provocative spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much. “I do not feel the need to clarify this for you,” Packer wrote, addressing his critics. “But I also do not mind being transparent [saying] that this was a very painful moment for me. On many levels. “ The LAPD said after Sunday night’s ceremony that it was aware of the incident and that Rock had refused to press charges against Smith. However, the department declined to comment on Packer’s interview on Thursday, a larger version of which will air Friday morning (April 1) in the United States. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Wednesday (March 30th) that it had instituted disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating its code of conduct. Pending the investigation, Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned. Without giving details, the Academy also revealed that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony but refused to do so. The Academy said: “We recognize that we could have handled the situation differently.” Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Oscars on March 27, after the comedian joked about the appearance of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett. (AP) Following this announcement, the Academy’s “weak indecision” was criticized online with a user posting on Twitter: “I am accustomed to the incompetent indecision of the Academy leaders at this point. “But the idea that they made the phone call decisively and then failed to do so is almost the worst version of the story I can think of.” Not only did Smith not leave the ceremony, but he was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard just minutes after the incident. Find the full list of 2022 Oscar winners here. See the latest updates and reactions from the dramatic ceremony here and read about the biggest discussion points here. Additional report from the Associated Press
