The Official DIS Oscars LIVE Watch Party Thread! The Afterparty continues. . .

[RamblingMad]

Yes, this is turning into quite a soap opera. People might want to get munchies for this PR drama unfolding.

Let's see if TMZ can "un-Packer" this drama.

TMZ paints a very different story from what exec producer Will Packer said this morning, making it seem like it was all on Chris Rock, who didn't want Will Smith thrown out of the theatre. Chris' people told TMZ that is all a lie.

"The producer of the Oscars is now saying it was Chris Rock who did not want Will Smith removed from the Dolby Theater after the slap, but according to a well-placed source with direct knowledge ... that's just not true.​

​

Will Packer appeared on "Good Morning America" Friday and gave his blow-by-blow of the evening. He said after the slap he talked to Chris and said the LAPD was present and wanted to know if Chris wanted Will arrested, but Chris made it clear he did not. No one is disputing that happened.​

​

Here's what IS in dispute ... Packer said it was Chris who said he did not want Will removed from the Dolby theater. Sources connected to Chris tell TMZ ... that was NEVER said. As one source put it, "Chris told Packer 'I'm not pressing charges. All I want to do is leave.' He was never asked if he wanted Will removed. This is the Academy covering itself."​

​

[Then] An Academy source tells TMZ, "Will Packer is not speaking on behalf of the Academy."​

​

Packer's statement more than intimates it was Chris' decision to keep Will in the theater, and our sources simply call that a lie.​

​

TMZ broke the story ... 3 well-placed sources who were present at the Oscars told TMZ ... the Academy never asked Will to leave and Will never refused to leave. The sources say the Academy discussed booting Will but never reached agreement, and 5 minutes before the Best Actor was revealed, Packer went up to Will -- who knew they were considering giving him the boot -- and told him he could stay. "​

I think, I need some edibles for next years.

 

[AustinTink]

​

TMZ broke the story ... 3 well-placed sources who were present at the Oscars told TMZ ... the Academy never asked Will to leave and Will never refused to leave. The sources say the Academy discussed booting Will but never reached agreement, and 5 minutes before the Best Actor was revealed, Packer went up to Will -- who knew they were considering giving him the boot -- and told him he could stay. "​

​

https://www.tmz.com/2022/04/01/will-packer-chris-rock-will-smith-oscars-leave-stay-slap/​

He told him he could stay because they are friends. When Packer said in the interview that the room was filled with Smith's friends who wanted to see him get a pass and win this award he was clearly speaking for himself. This guy thinks we're all really dumb and will blindly believe everything he says.

 

[Imzadi]

One simple search on IMDB shows that Will Packer produced the horribly unfunny movie Girls Trip starring... wait for it... Jada Pinkett Smith. He's probably buds with the Smiths and his interviews are full of holes because of it.Shame on him for making the situation worse by lying.

Yes, he's friends of the Pinkett Smiths. TMZ has 3 separate sources that say Packer is the one who went up to Smith and said he could stay.

Packer claims he never even spoke to Smith until the next morning.

Really? He's exec producer, but he doesn't even bother to go up to the man to ascertain if he will be in his right mind to even accept the award? He doesn't bother to go up to his friend to check on him and say, "Hey, bud, we're going to let yo stay and go up and accept the award if you win"?

 

[Imzadi]

He told him he could stay because they are friends. When Packer said in the interview that the room was filled with Smith's friends who wanted to see him get a pass and win this award he was clearly speaking for himself. This guy thinks we're all really dumb and will blindly believe everything he says.

Yes, even if Chris Rock had said he didn't want him thrown out, it wasn't Chris' decision to make.

 

[Tryxie]

With all this back and forth he said, she said, at this point the only person I’d believe is Chris...if he ever decides to tell his story.

 

[Imzadi]

He told him he could stay because they are friends. When Packer said in the interview that the room was filled with Smith's friends who wanted to see him get a pass and win this award he was clearly speaking for himself. This guy thinks we're all really dumb and will blindly believe everything he says.

No matter what the public line is, I still do believe that since the Moonlight debacle of handing the award out for the wrong movie, the executive producer now knows who will win the last, top 4 awards. Packer's lying and putting the responsibility of letting Will Smith stay onto Chris Rock, because Packer can't say he knew his friend was going to win Best Actor and he wanted Smith to stay and have his shining moment.

Think of it from the opposite side, if instead, he also knew Will was NOT going to win, would he have fought so hard (or lied) to have Will to stay? Wouldn't it be a no-brainer he should go? He'd probably think to himself, "Man, Will effed up, but he's got to go because he hit someone. At least he won't win. So, he won't be missing anything once he's gone."

 

[Mysterian]

Let's see if TMZ can "un-Packer" this drama.

No you didn't!

Imzadi....

 

[KayMichigan]

The fact that the room gave Smith a standing ovation after he won probably told Packer he made the right decision. Apparently the others there didn't think Smith did anything wrong.

I'm not sure if the others were still so much in shock that the only way they could deal with it was to pretend everything was normal, or if they honestly had no problem with Smith violently striking Rock and yelling obscenities at him as if they were in a bar somewhere and not at the Oscars.

 

[AustinTink]

Breaking: Will is taking his toys and leaving before they can kick him out. People article

 

[izzy]

Breaking: Will is taking his toys and leaving before they can kick him out. People article

I just saw that about him resigning from the Academy and my thought was the same as yours - he’s quitting before they kick him out.

Does anyone know what, if any, implications there are when someone quits the Academy? Is he still allowed to act?

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I'm guessing he can still act, he just can't win any awards. Not sure if that is just Oscars or it will include any other acting award like a Golden Globe
.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Breaking: Will is taking his toys and leaving before they can kick him out. People article

Hope this information didn't arrive via Packer.

 

[Marrila]

Another article
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/01/wil...ture-academy-over-chris-rock-oscars-slap.html

 

[Imzadi]

Breaking: Will is taking his toys and leaving before they can kick him out. People article

Aww, his publicist worded his statement so nicely.

I just saw that about him resigning from the Academy and my thought was the same as yours - he’s quitting before they kick him out.

Yes, sounds like one of those, "You're fired."

"No, I quit!"

"You're fired anyway!"

Does anyone know what, if any, implications there are when someone quits the Academy? Is he still allowed to act?

TMZ mentioned today that he's got 6 projects in the can already. Post-production just has to edit them and put them out.

Looking at his IMDb page, 4 are for acting in and two he produced. YET, he has another bunch he's in the process of producing. So he can still be in the business as producing. Brad Pitt, George Clooney and other actors produce stuff for other actors to star in.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Also, it was mentioned he could possibly do summer, "popcorn" action movies. Those never are nominated for the big awards.

I wonder if Jada will be happy with Will only as a producer or whatever now?

 

[Imzadi]

I'm guessing he can still act, he just can't win any awards. Not sure if that is just Oscars or it will include any other acting award like a Golden Globe.

We still don't know if the other shoe will drop. He's a SAG actor. I don't know if the award show was considered a SAG-AFTRA event as they appeared on TV, and a SAG actor hit another SAG actor. They may decide to sanction him too, but are waiting to see what the Academy does first.

Plus I heard the other unions are furious at the Academy for allowing someone who hit someone to just sit there among the directors & writers too. It was unsafe for everyone.

 

[RamblingMad]

Breaking: Will is taking his toys and leaving before they can kick him out. People article

And the damage control continues.

 

[izzy]

I wonder if Jada will be happy with Will only as a producer or whatever now?

Jada never looks happy. She has had a RBF ever since the first time I saw her on A Different World.

I guess now she has a good reason to look so unhappy.

 

[Imzadi]

And the damage control continues.

Yes, I wonder if someone at the Academy quietly told him, if he "quits" first, they will sanction him for 3-5 years and say they will only let him back in if he attends some anger management courses. If he doesn't quit, he's banned for good.

It may appear right now that Will has given it all up. Not thinking he will be an Academy member again. Then he goes to some posh rehab center for celebrities where all they do is sit in the sun and get face wraps and massages for 2-6 weeks. He waits for all his upcoming productions to slowly be released. Bam! 3-5 years is up, and he's back into the Academy - where he had indicated by quitting that he wasn't expecting to be re-admitted.

What I DO hope is that the Academy does tell him to get anger management and some real therapy. Maybe he goes to some REAL counseling rehab center. Gets away from Jada for a while. Works on the crazy that is really underneath his marriage and family issues, and the domestic violence he witnessed between his mom & dad. All that made him crack. He comes back and divorces Jada and helps get his kids back on track to some normalcy. Let this be a call for help on his part and he uses this opportunity for REAL healing.

 

[Mysterian]

Ok, I’ve only heard of Academy members being those that could vote.( I remember because Sean Astin was a member and discussed seeing some contention between Academy members about Django Unchained.)

I did a google:
”…. resignation means that he will no longer be able to vote for the Oscars, but he can still be nominated, attend future ceremonies and keep his current Oscar that he won on Sunday.”

I didn’t see anything about this affecting his SAG membership or his being able to continue acting. Was this just speculation or did I miss something?

 

[Mysterian]

On a personal note…

For the past years I’ve seen Will on various YouTube videos being very positive and motivational, and he seemed to have a great head on his shoulders. The Oscars moment seems counter to much of what he preached, apart from being really disappointing. I guess he’ll come back from this eventually, but he has much work to do.