Will Smith would have been kicked out of the BAFTAs if he stepped on stage to slap a presenter, the organisation has said.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars
Following the incident at the 2022 Oscars in which 53-year-old actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock, 57, an executive for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has confirmed that had a similar incident occurred at their event, Will would have been “removed from the ceremony".
Will decided to slap Chris, 57, after an insult from the comedian that targeted the hair loss struggles of his wife, 50-year-old actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia.
Chris suggested Jada was getting ready to film a sequel to 1997 movie 'G.I. Jane' which stars Demi Moore as a woman training for the military who has to shave her head for basic training. Will has since apologized for his violent response to the ill-advised joke.
When asked about what would happen if something similar occurred at the BAFTAs, Sara Putt, chair of BAFTA’s television committee and deputy chair of BAFTA, said: “They would be removed from the ceremony. They would not be in the buildings, so they would not physically be able to collect their award.”
Emma Baehr, BAFTA’s executive director of awards and content, added: “We do not tolerate violence of any kind.”
Sara said: “It’s just a complete red line for us.”
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, also known as the BAFTAs, hosted their 2022 Film Awards on March 13 and will be hosting their TV Awards on May 8. Will won the award for Best Actor at the BAFTA film awards ceremony for his role in ‘King Richard,’ but was not in attendance at the event.
Tagged in Chris Rock Will Smith Jada Pinkett Smith