'We'll go get him': LAPD was 'prepared' to arrest Will Smith for battery, but Chris Rock said NO
Oscars producer Will Packer said that police in Los Angeles were “prepared” to arrest Will Smith on battery charges after he slapped Chris Rock onstage. Packer revealed the details in an interview with ABC that will air on 'Good Morning America'. Packer said that Rock was in his office after the incident when the LAPD came up and said they are ready to take action against Smith.
They were saying, "‘This is battery,’ was the word they used in that moment,” Packer said. "“[The officers] said, ‘We will go get him, we are prepared to get him right now,’” he recalled. “'You can press charges and we can arrest him,' the cops added." However, Packer said that Rock refused to press charges.
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This revelation from Packer came after the film Academy said it had asked Smith to leave the ceremony after the incident with Chris Rock. However, this claim was called into doubt. “No one ever asked Chris if Will should leave. They never consulted him. It was the Oscars producer Will Packer who made the final decision to let Will stay,” an insider told New York Post.
ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE | TOMORROW ON GMA: #Oscars producer Will Packer speaks out on what happened behind the scenes, moments after actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage. pic.twitter.com/LnFnNImFJ1
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 31, 2022
The 94th Academy Awards returned to Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 27, with the red carpet teeming with Hollywood's best and finest. This year, Will Smith won the award for Best Lead Actor for his performance in 'King Richard'. Smith's achievement, however, was overshadowed as viewers were left stunned after he slapped Chris Rock for cracking a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock was on stage to present the award for Best Documentary Film when he decided to poke fun at Jada's shaved head, which is a result of her suffering from alopecia, an autoimmune disease. When Rock said she could star in 'G.I. Jane', Smith walked onto the stage, slapped Rock in the face, and walked back to his seat. "Keep my wife's name out of your f***king mouth," he yelled at Rock. Smith, however, later apologized for his shocking act.
Smith faced sharp criticism for his acceptance speech after slapping Chris Rock, with social media users saying his tears were fake. He later took to Instagram to issue an apology directly to Rock, which he did not do during his acceptance speech. "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally," Smith wrote. "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness. I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us."