Since the slap, which was spurred by a dig aimed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, the Academy has made moves to address potential surprises in the future. Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, recently confirmed that a “crisis team” was put together for the 2023 show.
“We’ve run many scenarios, so it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen,” he explained in a February interview with Time. “Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars.”
As for Smith, he resigned from the Academy and issued a public apology to Rock in the aftermath of the slap. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” he said in a March 2022 statement. “I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness”
Smith added, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world.”
For more star sightings from the 2023 Oscars, keep scrolling.
