Will Smith, who was banned from the Academy Awards for 10 years on Friday, allegedly refused to leave the Oscars after The Slap because he thought he could “make it right.” That revelation came in a Los Angeles Times report reconstructing events after the infamous live moment, with various Academy producers and insiders providing their own accounts of what happened. According to some sources, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson and President David Rubin sent Smith’s publicist Margaret O’Sullivan to Smith and asked him to leave, though the strength of their demand varied. “He was out of his mind,” one source told the Times. “They were trying to de-escalate the situation.” But Smith had other plans, according to other sources. “I want to apologize,” he said. “I think I can make it right.” Smith—who won Best Actor that night, delivered an erratic acceptance-speech-turned-apology, and apologized to Chris Rock the next day—eventually resigning from the Academy over the assault.
