Last year’s altercation at the Oscars still leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, and the Academy head, Janet Yang, is addressing the situation again.
Though the 2022 Oscars dignified some big names in Hollywood, it is a shame that no one remembers those good moments. The famous night features the renowned actor Will Smith taking to the stage and hitting the comedian Chris Rock across the face while the latter was presenting the best documentary feature category.
The infamous slap came after Rock shared a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s bald head. Feeling dissatisfied with the remarks made against his wife, the “Bad Boys” actor got up and did something about it, then returned to his seat and repeatedly screamed at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth!”
Smith, who remained in attendance, won the best actor Oscar for his performance in “King Richard.” Immediately after the ceremony aired, the “ALADDIN” actor resigned from the Academy on April 1st, 2022, and released a statement that read:
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
The “ALI” actor apologized again for his actions in July 2022 via video post revealing that Rock was not yet receptive to his apologies. He said, “I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out.”
The “Men In Black” actor has headlined Apple’s slavery drama “Emancipation” and confirmed that a fourth “Bad Boys” movie is in the works already. About two weeks after the assault, the Academy board took a stand against Smith’s action by revoking his AMPAS membership and banning him from attending the Oscars ceremony for ten years.
However, while many thought it was the right and adequate response by the organization, the current president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, Janet Yang, is not satisfied with their actions in handling the fallout.
Academy President Admits ‘Inadequate’ Response To 2022 Oscars Altercation
Daily Mail reported on how Yang aired her regrets at the 2023 Oscars Nominees Luncheon, which had the likes of Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, and Steven Spielberg in attendance.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she told the crowd before adding, “What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate.”
The 66-year-old further noted that the organization took poor actions during the Oscars telecast or in the immediate aftermath but quickly assured the audience that no less would be expected from them moving forward. She said:
“We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately, and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
Concluding the wholesome speech, she told the nominees that all categories for this year’s show would be live on ABC, which provoked loud applause.
Chris Rock Is Not Over Last Year’s Incident With Will Smith
Months before the Luncheon event, the stand-up comedian revealed that he was not thrilled about returning to the Oscars ceremony. Last August, The Blast covered how the “Death at a Funeral” actor turned down an offer from the Academy to host the 2023 Oscars ceremony.
During one of Rock’s Phoenix stand-up shows, he shared with the crowd that he was asked to host this year’s Oscars ceremony but declined the ample opportunity.
The “Down to Earth” actor joked about the olive branch, comparing his possible return to the Oscars stage to going back to check out a crime scene. He even referenced the famous OJ Simpson murder trial, saying taking the offer would be like asking Nicole Simpson to “go back to the restaurant.”
Furthermore, the “Everybody Hates Chris” narrator also revealed that he was offered the opportunity to feature in a new commercial for the Super Bowl, which he also turned down. Though, he didn’t give any reasons for turning down the Super Bowl offer.
