Will Packer Says The LAPD Was Ready To Arrest Will Smith Same Night After Slapping Chris Rock
In a sit down interview with T.J. Holmes on Good Morning America on Friday (April 1), Packer, who is responsible for the first all-Black production team for the Oscars, revealed that like everyone else, he thought it was a comedy bit between the two entertainers. When he realized this was real life being played out in front of the world on LIVE television, he was as stunned as anyone else and that his "heart dropped” the moment it happened. Packer said the Los Angeles Police Department was, in fact, prepared to arrest Smith that same evening.
“They were saying, you know, ‘This is battery,’ was the word they used in that moment. They said, ‘We will go get him; we are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him,'” said Packer.
However, it was Chris Rock who insisted Smith should not be arrested or removed from the ceremony, Packer explained. “They were laying out the options, and as they were talking, Chris was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, ‘No, I’m fine.’ He was like, ‘No, no, no.’ Even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.'”
Packer also stated that he did not speak to Smith the evening of the Oscars but the King Richard star called him the following day to apologize.
See the clip below:
On Oscar night, just before presenting the award for the documentary feature category, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, saying, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” Rock’s joke was in reference to Jada’s close-shaved head, a possible result of her recent struggles with the hair condition alopecia.
G.I. Jane was a 1997 film starring Demi Moore who played a character that shaved her hair off during a U.S. Navy program.
Rock was reportedly unaware Pinkett-Smith had alopecia.
After the joke, Smith, 53, walked on stage and slapped Rock. He returned to his seat and shouted at the 57-year-old legendary comedian to “keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.” Within the hour, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams in King Richard. During his acceptance speech, Smith did not specifically apologize to Rock, however, he has since issued an apology to him.
Over the past two days, there have been reports that the Academy asked Smith to leave after the incident but that Smith refused. However, according to Variety, sources close to Smith say that he was never “formally” told to leave the ceremony. The Academy released a statement and have issued a “formal review” of Smith’s conduct.
