Chris Rock was not asked if Will Smith should be removed from the Oscars — and it was allegedly producer Will Packer who made the call to let the “King Richard” star stay after he slapped Rock, multiple sources told The Post.
“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,” said one insider.
Rock walked off stage after being smacked by Smith at the 94th annual Academy Awards Sunday and was thrown into a storm, greeted by producers and LAPD officers. So far, he has opted not to press charges.
As The Post first revealed, Smith was in breach of the Academy’s strict code of conduct. He faces punishment, including a potential year-long ban from the Academy, which would prevent him from being nominated next year for his buzzy upcoming movie “Emancipation.”
On Wednesday, the Academy sent a letter about disciplinary action pending against Smith, telling members that the actor had “refused” to leave the ceremony after the incident and instead stayed in the Dolby Theatre to pick up his Best Actor prize for “King Richard.”
However, TMZ reported Thursday that Smith was told by Packer that he could stay, despite producers and Academy officials being split on the matter.
“Packer walked up to Will and said, ‘We do not want you to leave,’” the outlet reported.
Variety also wrote that the star was never formally asked to leave the show, saying that Packer was “the key” to Smith staying. “Packer walked out into the orchestra and conferred with Smith, according to two witnesses,” the trade publication reported. “Packer said that he and the production ‘officially’ wanted Smith to stay for the remainder of the show, according to one of the witnesses.”
However, a source close to Packer denied to Variety that the producer had urged Smith to remain.
Rock broke his silence for the first time since the slap on Wednesday night while on tour in Boston, saying he was still “processing” the attack.
Calls to Rock’s rep were unreturned. The Post has reached out to Packer, and the Academy was unavailable for comment.