A “crisis team” will be introduced at this year’s Oscars, to handle any real-time incidents as a response to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 ceremony.
The Academy chief executive Bill Kramer told Time magazine the new unit had “run many scenarios” in the hope they will be “prepared for anything”.
“Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars,” he said.
They are now quicker to react, he added, BBC reports.
Academy president Janet Yang previously said the response to Smith’s altercation with Rock was not swift enough.
Bring to mind that Smith slapped the comedian after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, which she shaved following an alopecia diagnosis. After returning to his seat, the actor repeatedly shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out your [expletive] mouth” at Rock.
Although Smith later resigned from the Academy, it took several more days for the organisation to make a decision on his membership. He was ultimately banned from the Oscars gala and other Academy events for 10 years.
“Let’s hope something doesn’t happen and we never have to use these [plans], but we already have frameworks in place that we can modify.”
