The Academy has a new Oscars crisis management team to prevent another Will Smith Slapgate
Still recovering from the aftermath of last year’s Slapgate, the Oscars have put together a crisis management team to prevent and control any similar occurrences at the ceremony in the future.
What
The Academy is still dealing with the consequences of the infamous moment when actor Will Smith slapped Oscars host Chris Rock at last year's broadcast. For the first time in Academy history, according to Kramer, a "crisis team" has been assembled to manage any additional unexpected events.
Why
The Academy received flak on multiple grounds, including their management of the situation when it had freshly occurred at last year’s broadcast, as well as their half-hearted response in condoning the occurrence in the aftermath.
Just a few moments after having slapped the Rock on stage, Smith was soon up on stage again - this time, to collect his Oscar under the Best Actor category for his performance in King Richard.
Later that night, the Academy issued a statement stating that it "does not condone violence in any form," and Smith apologised the following day.
The Academy would draw immense criticism for its apparent lack of prompt response. The slap was denounced by numerous individuals and organisations, and comedians supported Rock.
Days later, a "heartbroken" Smith announced his resignation from the Academy; a week after which, the AMPAS barred him from the Oscars for ten years.
The crisis management team, The Academy believes, will ensure a quicker resolution, if another Slapgate were to happen.
The 95th annual Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 12 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, US.