Academy leaders told Smith's publicist he should leave Oscars after slap, but he refused, source says
CNN
In the moments following Will Smith's stunning on-stage slap of Chris Rock during Sunday's Oscars telecast, members of the Academy of Motion Picture and Arts and Sciences leadership "firmly asked" Will Smith's publicist for the actor to leave the ceremony, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Smith "was firmly asked by way of his publicist to leave the Oscars. He refused and that was communicated back to Academy leadership," the person said.
The source spoke to CNN following multiple published reports Thursday disputing the Academy's claim in a statement issued Wednesday evening that Smith "was asked to leave the ceremony and refused."
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