Will Smith news - live: ‘Heartbroken’ actor’s resignation from the Academy accepted by organisation
Best Actor winner resigns from Motion Picture Academy, saying list of those harmed by Oscars slap is “long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones”
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Nearly a week after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, Hollywood is still abuzz with activity, as celebrities weigh in on the incident, while a “formal review” of the incident began at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Now they’ve got something new to talk about: the King Richard star has resigned from the Academy, which puts on the Oscars.
“The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith said in a statement. “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.”
It’s the latest sign of friction between the Hollywood heavyweight and the film group.
Smith was reportedly asked to leave the Oscars after breaking the Academy’s code of conduct, but he refused.
Though Mr Rock has declined to press charges against Mr Smith, on Wednesday, during the sold-out Boston show of his Ego Death tour, Rock finally addressed the altercation and said he was “still processing.”
“I’m still processing what happened, so at some point I’ll talk about that s***,” the comedian also said on stage, adding, “It’ll be serious. It’ll be funny, but right now I’m going to tell some jokes.”
You can follow all the developments about the “slap that was heard around the world” in our live blog below...
Tonight’s show could also see a number of couples potentially take home individual awards.
Both Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons (who are engaged) are nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively for The Power of the Dog.
Up for the Best Actress category is Penélope Cruz for Parallel Mothers, while her husband of 12 years Javier Bardem is also nominated for Best Actor for Being the Ricardos.
Talk about power couples...
If there’s one group who are excited for the awards show, it’s Beyoncé fans.
The singer will be performing her track “Be Alive” from the King Richard soundtrack, which is nominated for Best Original Song.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age adventure Licorice Pizza is another contender for Best Picture.
She may have been snubbed from the Best Actress category (#JusticeForAlana), but Alana Haim successfully used the film to make her move from musician to movie star.
You can read our interview with her below...
Alana Haim: ‘All the big loves of my life have been a f***ing rollercoaster’
From one-third of family rock group Haim to Bafta-nominated star of ‘Licorice Pizza’, the Californian has had quite a year. Adam White talks to her about control freaks, growing pains and falling in love
Throwing your own Oscars party? The Academy has the perfect bingo card to get you sorted.
The words “impromptu dance moments” are setting me out in a cold sweat, so lets hope for as few of those as possible...
With Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes all hosting tonight’s show together, this will be the first Oscars to have three permanent hosts in years.
However, Louis Chilton argues, putting three Academy Award first-timers all on tomorrow might be a recipe for disaster.
The Oscars’ three-headed host idea puts its presenters in an impossible position
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes are set to share the reins of tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony. With hosts serving as perennial whipping boys for dwindling TV ratings, it feels like the three first-time comperes are being set up to fail, writes Louis Chilton
What do you think? Let us know in the comments
If you’re staying up to watch tonight’s Oscars from the UK, then good on you!
We understand timezones can be a bit tricky to wrap your head around (especially with the clocks going forward last night), so have put together a handy guide below with everything you need to know to tune in!
The Oscars’ three-headed host idea puts its presenters in an impossible position
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes are set to share the reins of tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony. With hosts serving as perennial whipping boys for dwindling TV ratings, it feels like the three first-time comperes are being set up to fail, writes Louis Chilton
Hey Oscar watchers! This is Adam and I’ll be keeping you company through the long night ahead. I’ll be on hand to report back each and every award, memorable gag or palpable bit of cringe from tonight’s ceremony, which will serve as a final resting place for the longest awards season in awards season history. Or at least what feels like it.
So, some quick essentials: for everyone in the UK, the Oscars kick off at 1am – that’s 8pm ET in the US. Which means we have quite a while before we actually get to the ceremony. In the meantime, I’ll be glued to the E! network’s red carpet coverage, because I am a masochist. Enjoy!
So for anyone watching E! right now, Laverne Cox is speaking to one of the night’s more unusual presenters: the decidedly non-cinematic snowboarder Shaun White. The explanation? Apparently he’s here to introduce a tribute to James Bond stunts, which makes a bit of sense.
He’s also excited to see Jessica Chastain and That ‘70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama. Sure!
So what can we expect from tonight’s show? As mentioned by Rosie Perez on the red carpet just now – if you’re watching E!, at least – we’re due a White Men Can’t Jump reunion between her and her co-stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. A Pulp Fiction reunion featuring John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson and Uma Thurman is also taking place.
Not happening? A Twilight reunion featuring Best Actress nominee Kristen Stewart, current Batman Robert Pattinson and perpetually MIA Taylor Lautner – that was merely a bit of fake news that went viral on Twitter last week.
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