Academy Awards producer Will Packer said Thursday that police were prepared to arrest Will Smith after he slapped comedian Chris Rock during the ceremony Sunday night.
Packer was present with Rock when the police came to speak with the latter after the incident.
Packer said that Rock did not want things to get to this point, adding that Rock’s answer was “No” when the police explained to him his options and asked him if he wanted them to take any action.
And the Los Angeles police announced, on Sunday evening, that Rock had refused to file a complaint against Smith, pointing out that no prosecution had been launched at this stage.
Will Smith took to the stage in anger for slapping Chris Rock after the latter made a joke about the shaved head of his wife, Jayda Smith, who has alopecia areata.
The 53-year-old actor, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “King Richard”, publicly apologized to Rock and the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
On Wednesday, the academy began considering “disciplinary measures to be taken” against Smith, and is expected to hold a meeting on April 18 to make its decision.
The academy confirmed that it asked Smith to leave the celebration after it happened, but he refused.
In his interview with ABC, an excerpt of which was released and will be shown in full on Friday, Packer confirmed that he had not spoken to Smith.
Rock spoke publicly about the incident for the first time on Wednesday night, shortly after taking to a theater in Boston to perform.
He said, “I am still comprehending what happened, and at a certain stage I will talk about the incident, and it will be serious and funny at the same time.”