Oscars producer reportedly told Will Smith he could stay after slap, despite Academy's claim he refused to leave

Will Smith
(Image credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Was Will Smith actually asked to leave the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences claimed as much, but new reporting from TMZ and Variety is calling this into question. On Wednesday, the Academy said after he slapped Rock at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Smith "was asked to leave the ceremony and refused." But TMZ now claims the Academy "lied" about this and that Oscars producer Will Packer actually told Smith he could stay.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.