Oscars Producer Talks Will Smith Moment, Says LAPD Was Ready to Arrest Him & Explains Why They Didn't

As the world was processing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face at the 2022 Oscars, Liza Minnelli was apparently dealing with a figurative slap to the face by producers of the awards show!

Oscars last month, things were apparently far more tense behind the scenes. Oscars organizers "sabotaged" Liza and "forced" her to go on stage in her wheelchair last month, a friend alleged.While on SirusXM's The Jess Cagle Show, jazz singer Michael Feinstein claimed Liza agreed to present the best picture award with Lady Gaga as long as she could sit in a director's chair, not her wheelchair."You know, that whole thing was, she was sabotaged.

While Chris Rock immediately went into “joke mode” after being slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars, there was some underlying emotion.

While we’ve heard from The Academy and two out of three co-hosts about the slap that occurred at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, producer Will Packer has finally chosen to speak out publicly on the events. Packer seemed to defend the choice of letting Will Smith stay by suggesting that Chris Rock was “fine” with the actor not being removed.

We now have a clearer picture into what happen on Sunday, thanks to an in-depth talk with the producer of the Oscars.

is speaking out nearly a week after Will Smith shocked audiences by storming the stage and slapping Chris Rock across the face after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.In an interview with 's T.J. Holmes, which aired in full on Friday, Packer said he spoke to Rock just after the incident and asked, «Did he really hit you? And he looks at me and goes, ‘Yeah.

#Oscars producer Will Packer tells Good Morning America about the frenetic aftermath of actor Will Smith slapping host Chris Rock live on stage on Hollywood’s biggest night. https://t.co/AeoYcGkM32 pic.twitter.com/8z35t8TPFw“I immediately went to the Academy leadership that was on site and I said, ‘Chris Rock doesn’t want that,’” Packer said.

Will Packer is sharing new details about the 2022 Oscars.

The producer of this year’s Oscars was as shocked as everyone else.

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.

Zack Sharf Will Packer, who co-produced last Sunday’s 94th Academy Awards ceremony along with Shayla Cowan, spoke in depth Friday morning on “Good Morning America” about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. The incident occurred during the Oscars, after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head while presenting the documentary feature category. Packer said he thought it was a bit when the slap first happened, saying, “I thought it was part of something that Chris and Will were doing on their own.

Oscars producer Will Packer is breaking down what went down at the 94th Academy Awards before and after Will Smith approached the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. In a televised interview on Friday, Packer revealed he was watching offstage when Rock took the stage to present the best documentary feature award. "I said, ‘Watch this, he’s going to kill.’ I knew he had an amazing lineup of jokes that we had, we had them in the prompter.

Oscars producer Will Packer said he didn’t realize presenter Chris Rock had been physically struck by Will Smith until he heard it straight from the comedian’s mouth.

Oscars producer Will Packer has claimed the Los Angeles Police Department was "prepared" to arrest Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock during the Academy Awards. Packer, who produced Sunday's ceremony, told Good Morning America in an interview pre-released on Thursday that LAPD officers were willing to arrest Smith for battery after he slapped Rock in response to a joke made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. However, Rock wasn't interested in taking further action and was "dismissive" about his options during a conversation backstage.

after he slapped Chris Rock at the awards show. The authorities did not take any action because Mr Rock decided not to press charges, Will Packer, who produced the the 2022 Oscars ceremony, said. It comes following reports from Variety that Smith met with leaders of the Academy on Tuesday to discuss his outburst, and apologised to chief executive Dawn Hudson and president David Rubin.

Video: Oscars: Academy says they asked Will Smith to leave but he refused. (USA TODAY)Showbiz Minute: Smith, Oscars, Prince Philip'Justice League' 'evolved emotionally' after tragedyQuinta Brunson talks A+ first semester for 'Abbott Elementary'Judd Apatow gets meta with Netflix pandemic comedy 'The Bubble'Ronnie Wood paints it blackCelebrities react to Will Smith Oscars incidentWill Smith and Chris Rock's confrontation looms over historic wins at the 2022 OscarsOscars best dressed: See the celebrities who stunned on the red carpetLegendary Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins has diedLin-Manuel Miranda 'surrounded by heroes' at DGA AwardsRita Moreno reacts to Rachel Zegler's Oscars invitation at annual Women in Film eventNicolas Cage: Zelenskyy is 'a very brave, brave man'Less than an hour later, Smith gave a tearful speech on stage as he accepted the best actor trophy for his role in "King Richard. "Behind the scenes, police were discussing options with Rock, Packer said.

Academy Awards stage.“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment," Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to “Good Morning America.” “They said we will go get him. We are prepared.

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.

Oscars producer Will Packer said that officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were ready to arrest Will Smith for battery after he slapped Chris Rock on Sunday night at the Oscars — if Rock wanted to press charges. In a clip from Packer’s upcoming “Good Morning America” interview with T.J. Holmes, aired on ABC’s “World News Tonight,” the producer said: “They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment.