Harvey Weinstein is trending amid speculation that Will Smith may be suspended from the Academy

Analysis

After a day of speculation about the Will Smith/Chris Rock slap, Smith has issued a public apology, writing that “violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.” This statement name-checks Chris Rock, the Williams family (the subjects of Smith’s Oscar-winning film King Richard) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, amid rumors that the Academy might suspend Smith’s membership.

If this altercation had taken place in a more casual setting, it might just have been a tabloid news story with minimal repercussions. But since it took place on camera at the Oscars, there’s a lot of pressure on the Academy to respond. However, if the Academy does penalize Smith, there will undoubtedly be public backlash, as proven by the furious response on social media.

Many people believe the slap was justified because Chris Rock made a hurtful joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness, which was cause by her autoimmune disorder. Others simply think that an official Academy sanction would be overkill—and potentially hypocritical, considering the number of other Academy members with a more serious history of violence. As of Tuesday morning, there are now dozens of viral tweets highlighting figures like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski, causing both names to trend:

The Academy announced Monday that it launched a “formal review” into Will Smith’s behavior, taking into account California law (Rock has not pressed charges) and the Academy’s own code of conduct. This code was first implemented in 2017, in response to the Weinstein scandal.

Only five people have ever been outright expelled from the Academy: Four sex offenders, including Weinstein and Polanski, plus one expulsion for copyright infringement. Meanwhile, there’s no precedent for an actor having their Oscar revoked for personal misconduct.

In other words—despite a viral headline from the New York Post—there’s no way that Smith will actually lose his Oscar. A temporary suspension is more likely, but even that would be controversial.

While Smith did violate the Academy’s code of conduct, the same could be said for numerous other stars, ranging from Mel Gibson’s notorious history of antisemitism and domestic violence allegations, to more nebulous altercations like Tom Hardy fighting The Revenant director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. This year’s Oscar ceremony literally included Josh Brolin, who was previously arrested for domestic battery and a bar fight (both charges were dropped). And that’s without even mentioning all the A-listers with #MeToo allegations lurking on their Wikipedia pages. So if the Academy suspends Smith’s membership while overlooking more serious allegations about other members, it will definitely be accused of having double standards.