Academy moves up Will Smith board meeting

The board of governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has moved up their meeting to discuss possible sanctions against Will Smith after his Oscars slap to Friday.

In a letter obtained by The Hill, Academy president David Rubin said it was in the “best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.”

The board was originally scheduled to meet on April 18 to evaluate what steps it should take against Smith, who made headlines after slapping comedian Chris Rock during the March 27 ceremony.

Rubin noted that since Smith resigned from the Academy following the incident, they no longer had to adhere to certain timeframes, including giving him the opportunity to provide the board with a written statement no less than five days prior to the 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,” Rubin wrote.

The meeting is now reportedly scheduled to take place Friday morning at 9:00 am PT via Zoom.

The Academy announced last week it was beginning disciplinary proceedings against the actor for  “violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct.”