3 crisis communications lessons from the Academy’s Oscars slap response

For the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, 2022 will be a year no one forgets.

While the film industry’s biggest night is often remembered for comedic performances, tearful acceptance speeches and historic wins, this year’s events will stand out for another reason: Will Smith’s actions when the movie star stormed the stage to slap Chris Rock after a quip about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Academy has since banned Smith from attending the Oscars for 10 years — but says he can still be nominated and win its awards for his work in the movie business.

The New York Times reported:

In an open letter released after a morning meeting of the academy’s 54 governors, the group’s president, David Rubin, and its chief executive, Dawn Hudson, also called Mr. Smith’s behavior “unacceptable” and admitted to not handling the situation properly during the telecast.

“For this, we are sorry,” said the statement. “This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.”