Will Smith, Facing Discipline Over Slap, Quits Film Academy

(Bloomberg) -- Will Smith resigned from the group that runs the Oscars after the organization said it had begun a disciplinary hearing against the actor for slapping presenter Chris Rock at the March 27 ceremony.

Smith said he has responded to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences regarding its upcoming hearing and would “fully accept any and all consequences from my conduct,” according to a statement released Friday.

Smith walked up on stage and slapped Rock after the comedian told a joke about the actor's wife's hair. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, which causes hair loss. 

The slap was “shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” said Smith, who later in the evening won the best actor award for his performance in “King Richard.”

“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,” he added.

The academy has about 9,500 members, representing numerous trades within the movie industry, including actors, directors, film editors and writers. 

“We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith's immediate resignation,” David Rubin, the academy's president, said in a statement. “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”

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