Trouble seems to be far from over for Will Smith after his recent controversy at the Academy that left everyone shocked. The Academy Award-winning actor who won Best Picture for King Richard landed in hot soup after physically assaulting Chris Rock on the live stage. The 57-year-old comedian, who was the host of the 94th Academy Awards had made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia, triggering Smith to assault Rock to everyone’s terror.
Despite winning his first-ever Academy Award, Smith’s actions eclipsed his triumph and cast a pall over the entire ceremony which drew sharp criticism from many popular celebrities. As a result, the Academy had to convene an emergency meeting to decide the appropriate punitive actions to be taken against the actor. To make matters even worse, the actor was allegedly asked by the Academy to leave the ceremony to which he had refused. Though the actor has since then apologized, the damage has been done. Earlier this week, Smith announced his resignation from the Academy, which was immediately accepted by the committee. However, the Academy will still pursue its course of disciplinary actions against the actor which will be decided on April 18.
Netflix Puts Will Smith Starring Fast and Loose On Hold
After the shocking controversy, the road to redemption doesn’t seem easy for the disgraced actor. Earlier this week, Bad Boys 4 was announced to be put on hold in light of recent events. The Bad Boys franchise that has played a crucial role in shaping the actor’s stellar career has now halted the upcoming sequel. Now, streaming giant Netflix has also put Fast and Loose on hold which has Will Smith in the leading role.
The action-thriller starring Smith was earlier planned to be directed by David Leitch. However, the John Wick director left the project to focus on Fall Guy with Universal Pictures starring Ryan Gosling. But after last week’s controversy, it is being reported that the movie might be shelved.
Will Smith Resigns From The Academy
Related: Here’s All That Happened Apart From Will Smith Hitting Chris Rock At The Oscars 2022
The 94th Academy Awards was a milestone in celebrating the best of cinema. For the first time in history, Troy Kotsur, a deaf actor, took home an award for Best Supporting Actor. Similarly, Jane Campion also became the third female director to win Best Director for The Power of the Dog. Ariana DeBose also became the first Afro-Latina queer actor to win the Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story. But sadly, these definitive moments in history were overshadowed by Smith’s outburst. As a result, the actor has now formally resigned from the Academy. Here’s his statement:
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. 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. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.”
“So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.”
Though Bad Boys 4 and Fast and Loose have now been put on hold, Smith’s Emancipation, a slave escape movie on Apple+ is in post-production. However, it won’t be surprising if major studio houses decide to further themselves away from the Fresh Prince star in the near future.
