US actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. Picture: Robyn Beck / AFP
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, on Monday condemned Will Smith's slap of presenter Chris Rock at Sunday night's ceremony and said it had started a formal review of the incident.
Smith strode on stage during the televised ceremony and struck Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife.
Less than an hour later, Smith won best actor for his role in "King Richard
In a statement on Monday, the academy said it "condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night's show."
"We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences inaccordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law," the academy added.
Meanwhile, over 15.36 million people watched Sunday's live Academy Awards broadcast on Walt Disney Co's ABC network, a major jump from last year but the second-lowest audience ever, according to preliminary ratings data.
The figure for the film industry's highest awards rose 56% from last year's record-low ratings, ABC said on Monday.
Early estimates for the 2021 show, which was scaled down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, came in at 9.85 million viewers.
An updated tally that will include viewership via live stream and at out-of-home locations such as bars and restaurants will be released on Tuesday.
TV viewership of many awards ceremonies has dropped in recent years. Oscars producers tried a new format this year with three hosts and less time allotted to awards for sound mixing and other film craft categories.
But the most talked-about moment of the night occurred when Smith slapped Rock's face on stage shortly before Smith was named best actor.
The audio from the show, broadcast on a time-delay of a few seconds in the United States, appeared to have been cut from the live transmission for many viewers because of the language.
But it was audible in some broadcasts, for example in Japan and Australia.
Related Topics: