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Will Smith has announced in a statement that he has decided to leave the Oscar Academy in connection with the incident in which comedian Chris Rock was stabbed during the awards ceremony.
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards were shocking, painful and unforgivable,” Smith wrote in a statement released by several specialized Hollywood media outlets.
“The list of those I have injured is long and includes Chris, his family, my dear friends and loved ones, those in attendance and the global audience at home,” the 53-year-old added.
“I resign from my membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will accept any consequences that the Board of Directors deems appropriate,” he added.
“You have betrayed the trust of the academy. I have turned down the opportunity for other nominees and winners to celebrate their outstanding work. I am heartbroken,” Smith added.
Smith came on stage angrily to slap the rock shortly after he released a joke about his wife Jaita Smith’s shaved head.
On Wednesday, the academy began investigating “disciplinary action to be taken” against Smith.
