Police officers in Los Angeles were reportedly prepared to arrest Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, with the comedian said to have stopped them from doing so.
Following the fallout from the King Richard star’s altercation with Rock on stage at the Academy Awards, Oscars producer Will Packer has conducted an interview with Good Morning America, which is due to air today.
In the clip, Packer remembered the police using the word ‘battery’, saying they were ‘prepared’ to arrest Smith.
‘They were saying, you know, this is battery was the word they use in that moment,’ Packer said, according to ABC.
‘They said we will go get him; we are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him.’
Packer recalled how the police were ‘laying out the options’.
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Smith – who later received the best actor gong for King Richard – published an apologetic statement on social media following the ceremony, which read: ‘I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. 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.’
In a statement released on Wednesday, Oscars organisers condemned Smith’s actions and stated that he was ‘asked to leave’ the ceremony but ‘refused’.
However, sources later claimed to Variety that while some Academy members wanted Smith removed, there was no formal or explicit ask for him to leave the ceremony.
The Academy has launched a formal investigation into what happened, saying in a statement: ‘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.’
During a stand-up gig, Rock addressed the incident for the first time, explaining that he was ‘still processing what happened’.
The comedian, who was described as having ‘tears in his eyes’, said to the audience: ‘I’m still kind of processing what happened,’ adding that he would talk about what happened ‘at some point’ and his comments would be ‘serious and funny’.
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