Academy moves up date to discuss Will Smith's Oscars slap

The Academy's board of governors have rescheduled the meeting to discuss disciplinary actions against Will Smith over his infamous Oscars slap.

Variety is reporting that the meeting which was originally slated for April 18 will now hold this Friday, April 8 as confirmed by an exclusive letter released days after the actor resigned from the Academy.

Signed by the Academy president, David Rubin, the letter reads:

Dear Fellow Governors,

I am calling a board meeting for this Friday morning, April 8, at 9:00 am PT, rather than the previously scheduled April 18 meeting, to address possible sanctions for Will Smith in response to his actions during the Oscars broadcast on March 27.

The April 18 date was set in accordance with California law and our Standards of Conduct because our agenda included possible suspension or expulsion of Mr. Smith from membership. We were required to provide Mr. Smith notice 15 days prior to the board meeting at which such action might be taken, and also give him the opportunity to provide the board a written statement no less than five days prior to that meeting.

Following Mr. Smith’s resignation of his Academy membership on Friday, April 1, suspension or expulsion are no longer a possibility and the legally prescribed timetable no longer applies. It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.

Thank you for arranging to assemble on Friday morning at 9:00 am PT. Zoom details will follow soon.

David

Recall that the actor in a swift but anticipated move announced his resignation from the Academy with a heartfelt apology where he described his action as 'Painful and Inexcusable'.

Smith's actions has since sparked notable consequences especially among production companies. According to multiple media outlets, Sony, Apple TV and Netflix had paused productions associated with the actor.