Oscars team accused of lying about Will Smith slap debacle again
![Will Packer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BExigGNeiLNtT2adYP3HtG-1280-80.png)
The team behind this year's Oscars has been accused of lying about the Will Smith slap debacle for a second consecutive day.
On Friday's Good Morning America, 2022 Oscars producer Will Packer claimed Smith was not removed from the ceremony after slapping comedian Chris Rock because Rock himself didn't want him to be.
"They were about to physically remove Will Smith," Packer said. "I immediately went to the Academy leadership that was on site, and I said, 'Chris Rock doesn't want that.' I said, 'Rock has made it clear that he does not want to make a bad situation worse.'"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Packer added, "I was advocating what Rock wanted in that time, which was not to physically remove Will Smith."
But not long after the interview aired, TMZ published an article alleging "that's a lie," citing sources close to Rock claiming "that was NEVER said." Instead, a TMZ source said Rock only told Packer he would not press charges against Smith.
Similarly, Deadline reported Packer never asked Rock whether he wanted Smith removed, and "Packer is conflating this from a conversation that happened after Smith slapped him onstage, where Rock told Packer he did not want to press charges." Puck's Matthew Belloni backed up these reports, tweeting, "No, Chris Rock never told Will Packer he wanted Will Smith to stay."
That made this the second day in a row that the team behind the Oscars was accused of making misleading statements about what happened behind the scenes on Sunday. The Academy previously claimed Smith "was asked to leave the ceremony and refused," only for multiple reports to say Smith was actually not formally asked to leave.
Packer also revealed on GMA that the Los Angeles Police Department was prepared to arrest Smith at the show for battery. But according to Packer, Rock was "dismissive" of this idea.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
September 5: 'nail-chewing' thriller explores 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack
The Week Recommends Oscar-nominated film cuts between dramatised events and real archival footage from news coverage
By The Week UK Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
There is more at stake with the 'Emilia Pérez' Oscar nominations than just a gold statue
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As cinephiles debate artistic merits and award season odds, transgender activists and Mexican nationals grapple with the social implications of one of the most divisive films of the year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Emilia Pérez: the most hated film at the Oscars
Talking Point Why is Hollywood fêting a 'garish' movie critics call 'an abomination'?
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Brutalist: 'haunting' historical epic is Oscar frontrunner
The Week Recommends Adrien Brody is 'savagely good' as Hungarian-Jewish architect chasing the American dream
By The Week UK Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Brutalist, AI and the future of cinema
The Explainer The use of AI in the Oscar-tipped epic has launched a fresh debate over its applications in the film industry
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published