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Will Smith slammed after he RESIGNS from The Academy: 'He knew punishment was coming'

'The list of those I have hurt is long and including Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones' Smith said in his statement

After giving us one of the most controversial and ugliest moments in the Oscars history, actor Will Smith has tried to do some damage control by tendering his resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after his attack on Chris Rock during the high-profile ceremony.

On Friday, April 1, Smith, who won the Best Actor trophy for playing Richard Williams in ‘King Richard’ at this year’s event, released a statement and said that he is “resigning” from membership in the Academy. The actor also confirmed that he is ready to face “any kind of consequences” for his actions that shocked the entire world.

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The actor once again reiterated that his actions during the 94th Academy Awards were “painful” and “inexcusable”.

“I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” Smith said in the statement.

Apart from apologizing to Chris, he also put forward an apology to his family, all those who were in attendance that night, and to the global audience who tuned in to watch Hollywood’s biggest night. "The list of those I have hurt is long and including Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance and global audiences at home," he said in a statement. He added, “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”

The Academy has accepted the ‘I Am Legend' star’s resignation and confirmed that the organization will be moving forward with its “disciplinary proceedings” against the actor. As soon as the actor’s resignation surfaced online, users flooded social media platforms with extreme reactions. Some applauded Smith for the resignation while others believed that he knew he was going to be kicked out so he resigned himself.

One of the users said, “Resigning before they could kick him out doesn’t look noble to me. If he had left the ceremony when they asked him to or NOT gone out all night dancing - he only issued a “but see my side” apology after the actors guild and academy did - then maybe forgiveness would be easier.” Another social media user opined, “Predicted that WS would face consequences. Male toxic violence will not be tolerated in that venue on The World Stage. Roles will dry up, ostracized, persona non grata. I was as triggered as many were. Relieved.”

“I just don’t feel the genuine apology. Maybe if he didn’t go out and dance and party and have his kids condone what he did afterward I might believe he is regretful,” one of the users wrote. “That's just more selfishness. Will Smith knew punishment was coming. So basically he's saying, ‘you can't fire me, I quit,” wrote another one.

Meanwhile, a certain section believed that the resignation meant nothing because he has just lost his voting rights. He can still be nominated for an Oscar and win the award for any of his upcoming performances.

“So he just lost his voting rights, but can still attend, be nominated, win and keep the oscar he had. I mean did he get paid to vote or any other not disclosed benefits? Because this doesn't seem as bad as some people are making it out to be,” said another user.

On the other hand, people also appreciated the ‘King Richard’ star for doing the right thing and resigning from The Academy. One user said, “Love Will Smith and I am very saddened by this whole situation. I don't think he should have "been made" to resign. Just sad.” Another social media user said, “This is a good move following a good apology. Good for him. I hope he heals and can carry on with his career. He deserves to lose something for what he did, and he has. He does not deserve to lose everything.”

This is the third time that Smith has apologized to The Academy after the SLAPGATE. Rock didn’t press any charges on Smith over the slap and has remained silent on the issue. Rock did talk about the incident at one of his shows and said that he is “still trying” to process what happened that night.