The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded to the Will Smith-Chris Rock episode, condemning the violence that took place at the Oscars’ stage Sunday night.

 “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,” the organization said in a statement.

Also Read | Oscars 2022: Could Will Smith’s slap cost him the golden statuette?

Before the statement, the Academy had written on its Twitter page that it does not support “violence of any form.” However, this was followed with unrelated words: “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”

Sunday night’s Oscars event shocked not only those present at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, but also millions of viewers. What everyone thought to be a wild, viral moment, left everyone speechless for a while as Hollywood star Will Smith rushed up to the stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian cracked a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. For a moment, many thought the moment had to be scripted.

“Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me,” Rock, who was on stage to announce the best documentary feature award, said.

Also Read | Oscars 2022: Could Will Smith’s slap cost him the golden statuette?

The incident unfolded as Rock, 57, decided to land a joke on Pinkett-Smith before announcing the best documentary feature winner. He said Pinkett-Smith could star in “G.I. Jane 2.”

Pinkett-Smith, who was seen rolling her eyes at the joke, currently sports a bald look due to alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. Rock was reportedly referring to Demi Moore’s famously shaven head for her role in 1997 action-drama “G.I. Jane.”

Smith, who later won the Best Actor award, reflected on the incident while receiving the award.

“Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” the actor said.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, the Academy had enacted a code of conduct for its members.

“There is no place in the Academy for people who abuse their status, power or influence in a manner that violates recognized standards of decency,” the group said at the time. “If any member is found by the Board of Governors to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions, the Board of Governors may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s bylaws, including suspension or expulsion.”