It’s been a year since the slap heard around the world fell at the 2022 Oscars between Will Smith and chris rock. The incident became one of the most shocking moments in all of television history. After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced backlash for failing to intervene at the moment, the group deployed what was dubbed a “crisis team” for the 2023 awards ceremony.
Read on to learn more about the crisis team behind the 2023 Oscars ceremony.
What is the 2023 Oscars crisis team?
During a February 2023 interview with TIME magazine, CEO of the Academy Bill Kramer he explained the “crisis team” and “many plans in place” in case another altercation breaks out at a future Oscars ceremony.
“We have run many scenarios,” he explained. “So we hope that we’re prepared for anything that we can’t anticipate right now, but are planning for in case it does happen.”
Bill explained the preparation, saying, “Thanks to the past year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars. But these crisis plans, the crisis communication teams and structures that we have, allow us to say that this is the group that we have to get together very quickly. So we all come together. This is the spokesperson. This will be the statement. And obviously depending on the details of the crisis, and hopefully something doesn’t happen and we never have to use them, but we already have frameworks in place that we can tweak.”
Two weeks after the March 2022 ceremony, the Academy banned the fresh prince of bel air alum to attend all the events of the Academy for 10 years. However, he did not rescind the Oscar for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in king richard.
Why Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars?
As he took the stage to present the award for the next category, Chris made a joke about Will’s wife. by Jada Pinkett-Smith appearance. Live with alopecia, which causes hair loss.
“Jada, I love you. gi jane 2I can’t wait to see it.” Saturday night live said alum, apparently referring to her hair loss. Seconds later, Will was seen approaching Chris onstage and punching him in the face, to which Chris exclaimed, “Wow. Will Smith just beat me up.”
From his seat, Will yelled, “Get my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” and the room fell silent as Chris presented the next award.
One week after the incident, the Aladdin The actor shared an Instagram post to apologize to Chris and the other Academy Award nominees and winners.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you Chris,” Will wrote. “I crossed the line and I was wrong. I am ashamed 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.”
What did Chris Rock say about the Will Smith incident?
Nearly a year later, the funny man addressed the slap in his Netflix comedy special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.
“Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Chris said, before referring to Jada’s affair during her marriage to Will. “Everyone in the world called her a bitch. I tried to call the son of a bitch and give him my condolences and he won’t pick up. Everyone called that man a bitch. …And who does he hit? Me!”
