Will Smith might be asked to hand back the Oscar he just won for Best Actor following the onstage assault of Chris Rock, insiders have revealed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which handed out awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, has strict guidelines in its code of conduct.

After the incident, one Hollywood source told the New York Post: “It’s basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable.

“I think Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen now.”

Knocked Up director Judd Apatow was critical of Smith’s actions in a deleted tweet. “He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence … He lost his mind.”

The Academy’s code of conduct, released back in 2017 amongst sexual misconduct scandals that were hitting the industry, emphasises the importance of “upholding the Academy’s values”, like inclusion, creating a supportive environment, and “respect for human dignity”.

During this time, AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson expressed the privilege of an Academy membership.

“In addition to achieving excellence in the field of motion picture arts and sciences, members must also behave ethically by upholding the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive envitonment that fosters creativity.

“There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognised standards of decency. The Academy is categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, or nationality.”

In terms of the law itself, it looks like Will Smith might be in the clear.

“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” a rep for the LAPD revealed. “The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”

Twitter has already exploded with the confrontation at the Oscars between Will Smith and Chris Rock, some already making memes and jokes about the event.

The other Will Smith on Twitter has even expressed how people are confusing him for the actor who attended the event, and he’s bracing himself for an onslaught of people thinking he’s the wrong Will Smith.

For more on this topic, follow the Film and TV Observer.

Watch the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars here:

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