Oscars producer claims LAPD was 'prepared' to arrest Will Smith after Chris Rock slap

Billy Crystal called Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards "an assault." The nine-time Oscars host spoke about the "disturbing incident" during an appearance on "Back on the Record" with Bob Costas on HBO Max. Smith slapped Rock in the face on stage after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. "It was a most disturbing incident, for sure," Crystal told Costas.

Oscars producer Will Packer has claimed the Los Angeles Police Department were “prepared” to arrest Will Smith for hitting Chris Rock at last week’s ceremony, but said that Rock prevented them from doing so.Before winning the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard, Smith took to the stage to slap Rock over a joke the latter made about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. In 2018, Pinkett Smith revealed she has alopecia.Upon returning to his seat, Smith shouted to a stunned Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”It was reported shortly after the incident took place that Rock would not be pressing charges against Smith.During an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, Oscars producer Packer spoke out for the first time about the altercation, revealing that the LAPD had visited his office to speak to Rock on the night.“They were saying, you know, this is battery was the word they used in that moment,” Packer told GMA. “They said, ‘We will go get him.

An unexpected bump. Will Packer, who produced the 2022 Oscars, is opening up about what went down behind the scenes after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

Will Packer, producer of this year’s Oscars, said in an interview with ABC News’ Good Morning America that Los Angeles Police Department officers came to his office on Sunday evening and spoke to Chris Rock about filing charges against Will Smith following the now infamous slapping incident.

Will Packer is opening up about Will Smith's altercation with Chris Rock at the awards show last Sunday in a new interview with set to air Friday. aired a clip from the interview during their broadcast Thursday night, and Packer explained that LAPD officers were at the Dolby Theatre, and were willing to take Smith into custody after he struck Rock in the face during the ceremony.«They were saying, ‘This is battery.’ That was the word they used in that moment,» Packer recalled. «They said, ‘We will go get him.

Oscars producer Will Packer is unfolding details of the events that occurred at the 2022 Oscars.  In a preview clip of an upcoming "Good Morning America" interview, which was obtained by Variety, the producer reportedly shared that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was there and ready to arrest Will Smith if Chris Rock chose to press charges after the "King Richard" star slapped him.  "They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment.They said we will go get him. We are prepared.

Ellise Shafer Oscars producer Will Packer has addressed Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday night.In a preview clip of Packer’s upcoming interview on “Good Morning America” with T.J. Holmes, he revealed that the Los Angeles Police Department was on the scene Sunday night and ready to arrest Smith if Rock wanted to press charges.“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment. They said we will go get him.

Before the slap. Will Smith and Chris Rock‘s altercation at the 2022 Oscars made tons of headlines, but the duo’s history began well before the comedian’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

slapped Chris Rock on the stage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. In a statement, the Academy did not give any details about who made the request or how, but it did say that Smith refused to leave his seat.

New details have emerged surrounding the question of why Will Smith wasn’t removed from the 94th Academy Awards following his viral smacking of Chris Rock. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Wednesday said that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday's Oscar ceremony after striking Rock but, they claim, he refused to do so. "Jada, ‘GI Jane 2,’ I can’t wait to see it," Rock said on stage in front of the Oscars audience, including to an unhappy Pinkett Smith.  The actress has been publicly outspoken about how she deals with alopecia – an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss.

A heavy moment. Willow Smith subtly weighed in after her father, Will Smith, slapped Chris Rock in the face at the 2022 Oscars.

2022 Oscars will forever be remembered for the so-called slap heard 'round the world, when Will Smith stormed onstage and slapped presenter Chris Rock in the face before returning to his seat and proceeding to cuss him out, all over a joke Rock made at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.The moment was unsettling, unexpected, confusing and changed the atmosphere for the remainder of the evening. But as chaotic as things were in the theater, a source tells ET that it was much more so backstage.«Behind the scenes there were a lot of people, different voices and opinions all weighing in on what had just happened, and what was the right course of action,» the source says of the moments immediately following the altercation.The moment came as a surprise to all involved, and even the producers of the show apparently had to figure out if this was an unplanned stunt between Smith and Rock, and if Rock was hurt.«There were just minutes to first figure out if it was a stunt,» the source recalls, «and then try and get people on the same page including the producers, ABC, the Academy, reps — who were not all in the same place physically or looking at their phones in real time.»The sources adds that «people were checking that Chris Rock was OK.... and to see if Chris even wanted to press charges.»In a statement to ET on Sunday night, after the Oscars came to a close, the LAPD said they were aware of the incident but that «the individual involved has declined to file a police report.»«LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,» the statement read.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorOrdinarily on an Oscars Sunday, the peak interest in Hollywood’s big awards show is around the top winners. But this year was… different.According to data from Google, in the 11 p.m.

Jada Pinkett Smith shared a cryptic message about healing on Instagram days after her husband Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke. Rock quipped about Pinkett Smith's bald head while presenting an award at the 2022 Oscars on Sunday evening.The joke prompted Smith to walk on-stage and slap Rock in the face. Smith has since apologized directly to Rock and to the Academy.

Sunday's shocking turn of events at the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face is all anyone was talking about on social media, and proved to be rich comedic fodder for late-night talk show hosts.One host who had particular insight into how wild the night must have truly been was Jimmy Kimmel — who famously hosted the Oscars ceremony in 2017, during which the wrong Best Picture winner was announced, with presenters mistakenly naming instead of the real winner, «I'm a little bummed because now I've hosted only the second craziest Oscars of all time! I only had three years to enjoy that,» Kimmel quipped during his opening monologue.«A lot of my friends have been texting me asking what I would have done if I was host.

A new report has revealed details about what happened backstage at the 2022 Oscars in the moments immediately following “the slap” from Will Smith.

The morning after a raucous Oscarcast which saw Will Smith slap presenter Chris Rock in the face over his joke about the King Richard Oscar winner wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued another statement.

Oscars producer Will Packer has changed his tune regarding Will Smith’s shocking slap of Chris Rock at last night’s ceremony.

Zack Sharf Whoopi Goldberg predicts the Academy will not strip Will Smith of his best actor Oscar following his altercation with Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. Before he won the Academy Award, Smith walked onto the Oscar stage to slap Chris Rock after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head while presenting the documentary feature category. Pinkett Smith announced last year she shaved her head after struggling with alopecia.