‘Heartbroken’ actor says he’ll accept the consequences as he faces possible expulsion for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars
- Will Smith has resigned from the Academy amid fallout surrounding his slapping of Chris Rock during last Sunday’s Oscars ceremony
- In a statement released Friday, Smith called his actions during the show ‘shocking, painful and inexcusable’
- The actor acknowledged that slapping Rock during the ceremony caused other award winners to be overshadowed
- He said he wanted to put the ‘focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements’ and allow the Academy to return to doing ‘incredible work’
- Smith also said he would accept any additional consequences issued by the Academy’s Board of Governors
- His resignation came two days after the Academy met to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating the group’s standards of conduct