According to reports, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apparently wasn't forthright in their claim that they asked Will Smith to leave the award ceremony after slapping host Chris Rock during last weekend's Oscars.
While the organization claimed that Smith "refused" to leave after being asked, three insiders have come forward refuting the claim. The sources relayed to TMZ that they "witnessed various conversations" and claim it was split between those who wanted Smith to remain and those who thought he should be removed. Ultimately, show producer Will Packer told Smith he was okay to stay.
This new reports conflicts with the statement released by the academy on Wednesday. It read, in part, “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
Reps for the organization have yet to respond to the new claims.
Source: Pagesix.com
