Will Smith, facing possible expulsion or suspension after he assaulted Chris Rock during the Oscars telecast on March 27, has instead resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. (Variety)
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken,” Smith said in a statement. (Reuters)
The Academy’s president David Rubin said it had accepted Smith’s resignation, but would continue its disciplinary proceedings. (BBC News)
Netflix has backed away from Smith’s film Fast and Loose. The project had already lost director David Leitch before the infamous Oscars slap, and now the streaming service has quietly moved the film to the back burner in the awards ceremony’s wake, according to sources. (THR / Heat Vision)