The Los Angeles Police Division was ready to arrest Will Smith on the Oscars after he slapped Chris Rock, Will Packer, a producer for the awards present, instructed ABC Information' "Good Morning America." Rock was "dismissive" of the thought and determined to not press fees, Packer mentioned.
Packer mentioned LAPD officers spoke to Rock within the producer's workplace after Smith slapped him over a joke that the comic, who was presenting an award, made about Smith's spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith.
"They had been saying, you realize, 'That is battery,' was the phrase they use in that second," Packer mentioned in a clip of a "Good Morning America" interview launched Thursday evening. "They mentioned we'll go get him; we're ready. We're ready to get him proper now. You possibly can press fees. We will arrest him. They had been laying out the choices, and as they had been speaking, Chris was being very dismissive of these choices. He was like, 'No, I am fantastic.' He was like, 'No, no, no.'"
Earlier this week, the LAPD confirmed Rock declined to press fees towards Smith.
Packer, who led the present's first all-Black manufacturing group, mentioned he didn't communicate with Smith immediately that evening.
Within the days since Sunday's present, extra info has come to mild. On Wednesday, the Academy criticized Smith's actions and mentioned it's reviewing the incident. It additionally mentioned that Smith — who went on to win Greatest Actor for his position in "King Richard" — was requested to depart, however declined.
"Mr. Smith's actions on the 94th Oscars had been a deeply stunning, traumatic occasion to witness in-person and on tv," the Academy said. "Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you skilled on our stage and thanks in your resilience in that second. We additionally apologize to our nominees, visitors and viewers for what transpired throughout what ought to have been a celebratory occasion."
Each Rock and Smith have spoken in regards to the incident. Smith apologized to the comic on Tuesday, whereas Rock briefly addressed the incident in his first stand-up present because the slap on Wednesday evening in Boston.
"I am nonetheless type of processing what occurred," based on audio posted by Selection. He additionally tamped down any viewers expectations that he would discuss at size in regards to the slap, telling them: "When you got here to listen to that, I am not ... I had like a complete present I wrote earlier than this weekend," the Related Press reported.