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

Seemingly everyone has weighed in on the Will Smith x Chris Rock Oscars slap...except from Rock, himself. Until now.

The comedian addressed the altercation this week at the sold-out Boston show of his Ego Death tour, where he said he was “still processing” what happened last weekend.

Check out Maanya Sachdeva’s story for more information on what Chris Rock had to say.

Everyone had a different reaction to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars.

While The Slap silenced many in the room, Andrew Garfield appeared to mock Will Smith.

Here’s our story on what it was like inside the room when it happened.

A week later, discussing The Slap is getting a bit stale, according to some celebrities.

Among them are Amir “Questlove” Thompson, the Roots drummer, whose directorial debut Summer of Soul, about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, won Best Documentary at the Oscars.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is similarly nonplussed by all the slap-happy discussion.

Read Sam Moore’s story to find out what he said.

Will Smith has largely been condemned for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday, but Tiffany Haddish was one of the few stars coming to his defence.

She called the ceremony a “success” and praised the King Richard star for standing up for his wife.

Watch more of her comments below, via The Recount.

Some others, including multiple members of Congress, initially spoke out on social media and supported Mr Smith, before quickly deleting their statements of approval.

Online conspiracy theories have flooded social media in the wake of the Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars drama, falsely suggesting The Slap was staged.

Despite the Academy’s official statement, Smith’s public apology, condemnation from Oscar attendees and a play-by-play account of the moments that led up to the “slap heard around the world”, some social media users have falsely suggested the incident was staged in a bid to resuscitate the Oscars’ dismal viewership figures.

The Independent has fact-checked some of the wildest conspiracies about The Slap. Read more below.

University students across the US have been following the Will Smith Oscars drama just like everyone else.

Ninety per cent of students interviewed in a new poll said they had seen video of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, while a large majority also condemned the attack.

Cyrus Beschloss of Generation Lab has more on the numbers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it has accepted Will Smith’s “immediate resignation” from the organisation and will “continue to move forward” with its disciplinary proceedings against him.

The King Richard actor said he was “heartbroken” and would accept any consequences that emerged from his scheduled hearing in a statement announcing his decision.

Soon after that, Academy president David Rubin said: “We have received and accepted Mr Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”

“We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18,” he said in a subsequent statement, shared with the PA news agency.

Mike Bedigan has the full story:

Will Smith’s fans are divided over his decision to resign from The Academy over his Oscars slap.

In a statement, the 53-year-old actor called his actions “shocking, painful and inexcusable” and said he will accept any “further consequences” the Academy may still decide on.

While some people “feel” for the King Richard actor, others think that he isn’t being “sincere” and is doing some “damage control.”

One supportive fan wrote: “This is how you do an apology. It covers all the necessary bases, it seems absolutely sincere, and there’s nothing groveling about it. He’s earned my respect back. Well done.”

A disappointed fan added: “Well, one thing is for sure, that [his] publicist knows how to write a letter of apology. I’ll just wait for the interview [with] Gayle or Oprah and see what comes from his lips directly. Ho-hum.”

On Sunday (1 April), Will Smith resigned from The Academy following an incident in which he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.

When someone resigns from The Academy, they are no longer eligible to enjoy the benefits provided by the organisation, including the ability to vote for fellow nominees and access screeners for films in consideration for different awards.

One thing that’s still not confirmed is whether Smith will continue to receive invitations to attend future Academy Awards and related events. The decision will probably be made after the board reaches a conclusion at the disciplinary meeting later this month.

The Academy’s code of conduct, which was revised in 2017 following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, includes disciplinary measures that “may include private reprimand, public reprimand, temporary or permanent loss of privileges to attend and participate in Academy events or activities, temporary or permanent loss of eligibility to receive or hold or revocation of Academy awards or honors, temporary or permanent loss of eligibility to hold Academy service and volunteer roles, or other sanctions that the Academy in its sole discretion may deem appropriate.”

On Friday (1 April), musician and filmmaker Questlove – real name Ahmir Khalib Thompson – seemingly expressed his wish for the conversation to stop.

His film, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), won the award for Best Documentary Feature just moments after the slap on Sunday (27 March).

“Can we FINNNNNNNALY stop talking about it?” he tweeted to his followers.

Earlier this week, Questlove appeared with his Oscar on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. During the interview, he revealed that he’d been meditating at the time of the incident.

Nicole Vassell has the full story: