In a statement released by the Academy after the 94th Oscars, Will Smith apologised for his actions and resigned from the Academy for hitting Chris Rock for joking about his wife's shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.
Less than an hour later, he was awarded the best actor award for his role in King Richard, where he played the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the awards ceremony, met virtually on Friday to discuss disciplinary action.
The Academy said that directly after the slap it did not "adequately address the situation in the room" and had been "unprepared for the unprecedented". It apologised for this.
It also thanked Rock for "maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances". In his resignation statement, Smith said he had "betrayed the trust of the Academy" and was "heartbroken" over his actions.
Smith's resignation means he will be unable to vote for future Oscars.
Watch the Video Below:
The Academy's disciplinary review over the incident, originally scheduled for 18 April, was fast-tracked after he resigned.
