Will Smith to face ‘big consequences’ at crucial meeting tomorrow, Academy Governor Whoopi Goldberg said

Whoopi Goldberg, who is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors, believes Will Smith will be able to keep his Oscar after slapping Chris Rock onstage at the ceremony Sunday.

However, He will face some kind of punishment for the assault.

‘There are consequences,’ she said during a taping of her show. ‘There are big consequences because nobody is OK with what happened.’

Read More: Oscars 2022 : Will Smith slaps Chris Rock break the internet

Smith’s fate could be decided tomorrow night at a meeting held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors – where his onstage assault of Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars is expected to be the main topic.

A post-Oscars board meeting is always held to discuss the ceremony and address any concerns.

The decision to hold the meeting was made after the Academy met for an emergency call Monday night about the incident and released a statement announcing a launch of a formal review.

‘The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.’

Goldberg said that that criticism of the stunned crowd was unsuitable because of the chaotic moment in real time.

People went over to Smith because ‘people thought Oh my god, is he having a break? Do we need to get him out? What do we need to do?’

The incident continues to be a national conversation and Goldberg added Tuesday that she hopes people begin to ask: ‘What could have triggered this?’

‘What’s happening is people are now starting to calm down and say, ‘Wait a minute, what could have triggered this?’ Could have been the four years ago, could have been anything.’

The ‘four years ago’ is in reference to Rock making jokes about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at another awards show.

Pinkett Smith, 50, finally broke her silence on Tuesday with an Instagram post that read, ‘This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.’

Pinkett Smith posted the words on a pink background, but did not share a caption. She has remained quiet since the dramatic events unfolded Sunday night.

Smith released an apology on Monday, saying his behavior was ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’ and left him ’embarrassed’.

A more severe punishment would be expulsion from the Academy, putting the ‘King Richard’ actor in a small group of people who have been expelled, including Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Roman Polanski.

Weinstein was expelled ‘for ‘sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment’ and Cosby and Polanski were expelled ‘in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct’ after they had been convicted of sexual assault.

Weinstein and Polanski’s Oscars were never rescinded.

Many of Hollywood celebrities denounced Smith’s actions and called for his Oscar to be taken back.

Marshall Herskovitz, president emeritus of the Producers Guild of America, was among the first to condemn Smith, tweeting shortly after the attack that Smith had ‘disgraced our entire community’.

He said: ‘I call upon the Academy, of which I am a member, to take disciplinary action against Will Smith. He disgraced our entire community tonight.’

Herskovitz accused those who defended the actor of ‘moral cowardice’.

In one of the most shocking moments in the history of the vaunted awards show, Smith strode on stage Sunday and slapped Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife.

Smith’s meltdown continued when he returned to his seat as he repeatedly screamed: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth’.

The crowd then fell into stunned silence – and any questions over whether the altercation was genuine were answered when just over half an hour later Smith was given the Best Actor award and apologized for the assault.

The actor released a statement on Monday, saying his behavior was ‘unacceptable and inexcusable’ and left him ’embarrassed’.

He wrote in an Instagram post that he was ’embarrassed’ by his actions, which shocked the ceremony attendees, producers and viewers.

‘Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive,’ he wrote.

‘My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

‘I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.’

Late Sunday night, the LAPD issued a statement saying that Chris Rock had not filed a police report against Smith, but that if he chooses to do so, police will investigate.

‘LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,’ the statement said. ‘The incident involved one individual slapping another.’

In a statement on Monday, the 9,900-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it ‘condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show.’

‘We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law,’ the academy added.

The conduct policy states it is ‘categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination’ and expects members to uphold the values ‘of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity.’

Violations may result in suspension or expulsion from the group, revocation of Oscars, or loss of eligibility for future awards, according to the policy.

A full board of Governors meeting is set for Wednesday and the incident is expected to be the main topic.

Several Hollywood celebrities denounced Smith’s actions.

Alec Baldwin posted to Instagram and Twitter his condemnation of Smith’s behavior.

‘I’m sorry the Oscars turned into the Jerry Springer Show,’ he said.