Will Smith news - live: ‘Heartbroken’ actor’s resignation from the Academy accepted by organisation

Ticket-selling site TickPick announced it had sold more Chris Rock tickets “overnight than we did in the past month combined” after the comedian was slapped by Will Smith on stage at the Oscars on Sunday (27 March).

Rock had announced his new “Ego Death World Tour” last month on Instagram, promising his fans “all new material” that is both very “personal and funny”.

Ticket prices for Rock’s show were also hiked after the Oscars incident, according to media reports. Tickets for a table at the comedian’s forthcoming show in Boston’s Wilbur Theatre on Friday were up over £76, Newsweek reported.

Tom Murray has the full story:

Legal experts say the Los Angeles Police Department is right not to investigate Will Smith for hitting Chris Rock – especially since the comedian declined to press charges against Smith.

Criminal defence attorney Alan Jackson told the LA Times that the only charge which could be brought against Smith would be misdemeanour battery since Rock wasn’t injured and no weapons were used. However, Jackson continued, to be arrested on misdemeanour, the offence needs to “happen in front of the authorities”.

American law school professor Laurie Levenson told the paper that “not every bad act becomes a criminal case”.

“I don’t think anybody is sanctioning or anybody is saying what Will Smith did is appropriate,” she said.

Alec Baldwin has compared this year’s Academy Awards to The Jerry Springer Show after Will Smith hit Chris Rock during the ceremony.

The actor, who currently faces multiple lawsuits over Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ death last year, came out in support of Rock on Twitter and Instagram on Monday.

“I’m not reading much about how, or even if, the producers attended to Chris. But I love you, Chris Rock,” Baldwin wrote.

“I’m sorry the Oscars turned into The Jerry Springer Show,” the 63-year-old actor continued, comparing the Oscars to the tabloid talk show hosted by British-American television personality Gerald Norman Springer.

American comedian Jeff Ross has said Chris Rock’s restraint after the Will Smith incident at the 2022 Oscars was a “class act”.

Ross commented on the incident in a lengthy Instagram statement, writing that he “worships Chris Rock” and was moved to tears when he saw “Smith attack” Rock.

“I was watching my idol live out a comedian’s worst nightmare on live television,” Ross continued, referencing Smith hitting Rock over a joke he made about the actor’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith during the live Oscars ceremony.

“Rock should get a Nobel peace prize for keeping his hands down and not escalating the situation. Class act,” Ross added.

Peony Hirwani has the full report here:

Britain’s most opportunistic comedian Munya Chawawa has made a musical parody of the Will Smith/Chris Rock altercation, blending in references to Men in Black, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”.

See the full story below...

ABC executive Robb Mills has said that the comedian ad-libbed the GI Jane joke that prompted Best Actor awardee Will Smith to walk up to the stage and hit Rock.

He added that the Oscars productions team, including director Glenn Weiss, realised something was wrong when Rock swore on live television.

Read the full report from Maanya Sachdeva here...

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has condemned “the incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock” at the 94th Academy Awards, calling it “unacceptable”.

The union representing presenters and other performers who work on the Oscars in an online statement said: “Violence or physical abuse in the workplace is never appropriate and the [SAG-AFTRA] condemns any such conduct.”

The industry body also revealed it had contacted the Academy after Smith struck Rock onstage over a joke about the actor’s wife Jada Pinkett to ensure the Best Actor winner’s behaviour is “properly addressed”.

Alan Davies has expressed solidarity with Chris Rock over the Oscars incident that has drawn outrage and shock from celebrities around the world.

The British comedian said he will “stick up for the comic” in an interview with BBC Breakfast, adding he didn’t think Rock intended to reference Jada Pinkett Smith’s medical condition onstage at the Academy Awards.

However, he added, Smith’s reaction was not ‘in any way reasonable’.

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Will Smith’s mum has said she was “surprised” upon seeing her son slap Chris Rock, adding that Smith is a “very even, people person” in a new interview.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime,” Caroline Smith told Philadelphia news station Action News, adding: “I’ve never seen him do that.”

The actor’s mother also revealed she spoke to Smith, who won the Best Actor Oscar on Sunday, the day after the dramatic ceremony and advised him to get some rest.

Annabel Nugent has the full story:

The producer of the 94th Academy Awards, Will Packer, has addressed the backlash to one of his tweets about the Will Smith slap, revealing that the altercation was “very painful” for him to watch.

Shortly after the dramatic ceremony was concluded, Packer, 47, tweeted: “Welp... I said it wouldn’t be boring #Oscars”

After social media users criticised the producer for “making jokes about an assault that happened during your show”, Packer shared his “transparent thoughts” about seeing Smith strike comedian Chris Rock onstage during the show’s live broadcast.

“Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it,” he wrote on Twitter, addressing those that had objected to his original tweet.

“I don’t feel the need to elucidate that for you,” Packer continued, adding, “But I also don’t mind being transparent and say that this was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.”