The Academy says it doesn't 'condone violence' after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage before taking home an Oscar
- The Academy tweeted that it does not "condone violence" after Sunday's Oscars ceremony.
- Will Smith was awarded his first Oscar. Earlier, he had slapped Chris Rock.
The Academy has tweeted that it does not "condone violence," a seeming response to Will Smith winning an Oscar after slapping the comedian Chris Rock onstage earlier in the night.
During his monologue to present the award for best documentary feature at Sunday's Oscars ceremony, Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, appearing to reference her bald head when he said "Can't wait for 'G.I. Jane 2.'"
Jada Pinkett Smith has publicly shared in the past about her alopecia areata, a disease that causes hair loss. Moments after the joke, Will Smith went onstage and hit Rock across the face before shouting, "Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth" as he returned to his seat.
The actor later apologized to the Academy during his speech for his first Oscar, the best actor award for his role in "King Richard."
While the Academy has not made an official statement on the incident, it tweeted: "The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world."
Insider has reached out for further comment.
The incident has raised questions about whether Smith will keep his Oscar, due to the Academy's code of conduct.
The rules, issued after the revelations in the #MeToo movement in 2017, state that: "There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency. The Academy is categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, or nationality."
But the rules also say that the Academy does not carry out investigations unless incidents are reported by members.
It wrote: "The Academy asks that members embrace their responsibility to affirm these principles and act when these principles are violated."
Rock has already declined to file a police report against Smith, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles Police Department, which could mean that the Academy also does not pursue its own investigation.
But several celebrities have already commented on the situation either in support or critical of Smith's actions.
Jaden Smith — Will and Jada Pinkett's son — appeared to tweet in support, writing "And That's How We Do It."
Meanwhile, in a now-deleted tweet, the writer and director Judd Apatow wrote that Smith "could have killed" Rock and said the actor had "lost his mind."
Apatow was largely criticized for his tweets being "dramatic" before they were deleted.