Oscars ‘crisis team’ in place if Will Smith-type slap happens: report
They’re trying to get ahead of any drama.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will have a “crisis team” on standby at the 2023 Oscars, a year after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in a shocking moment that overshadowed Hollywood’s biggest night, TMZ reported Wednesday.
The outlet cited unidentified Academy insiders who reportedly said the designated team will be able to spring into action at the March 12 ceremony if things go awry.
“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place,” the sources allegedly told TMZ. “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.”
The Post has contacted a rep for the Oscars for comment.
A year ago, the “Men In Black” actor, 54, walked onstage and slapped the 58-year-old “Everybody Hates Chris” alum after he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, 51, and her bald head.
Rock reportedly did not know that Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, a disease that causes hair loss.
No action was taken against Smith until days after the viral incident. Instead, he delivered a tearful acceptance speech for his first-ever Oscar win and sang along to his own songs at an afterparty.
But the move ultimately resulted in Smith being suspended from the Academy for 10 years.
The “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” rapper publicly apologized to Rock in July and claimed the “Grown Ups” funnyman was “not ready” to talk with him one-on-one.
Rock, meanwhile, has reportedly turned down opportunities — including a Super Bowl commercial alongside Smith and a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey — to publicly address the slap, instead reflecting on it at his comedy shows.
He was also reportedly asked to host this year’s Golden Globes and Oscars — but declined.
At the organization’s luncheon hosted for this year’s Oscar nominees, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang spoke about last year’s disastrous disruption.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she said, according to Variety.
“What happened onstage was fully unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate,” Yang declared.
“We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions — and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
Two-time Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel will once again front this year’s awards show live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 12 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
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