LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, on Monday condemned Will Smith’s slap of presenter Chris Rock at Sunday night’s ceremony and said it had started a formal review of the incident.
Smith strode on stage during the televised ceremony and struck Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife. Less than an hour later, Smith won best actor for his role in “King Richard.”
In a statement on Monday, the academy said it “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,” the academy added.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler)
