Could The Academy Take Back Will Smith's Oscar?

According to the Irish Mirror, there are widespread calls for Will Smith to be stripped of his best actor Oscar, following the violent incident. Will beat out the likes of Javier Bardem and long-time friend Denzel Washington to win the award. He was also the favorite leading up to the event to win — but now, Twitter users are adamant that the actor went too far and should be punished accordingly. "Let's be clear, the second this happened, Will Smith should been immediately removed from the theatre. You don't let someone assault another human, go back to his seat, and then give him an award so he can preach about being a vessel of love," one user tweeted.

Per the Irish Mirror, other social media users complained that it wasn't right for Will to win an Oscar after he demonstrated unacceptable behavior. "It's basically assault. Everyone was just so shocked in the room, it was so uncomfortable," one industry insider at the event told the New York Post. "I think Will would not want to give his Oscar back, but who knows what will happen now." The Academy has since released a statement on Twitter, confirming that it "does not condone violence of any form." Meanwhile, per The Guardian, Smith has apologized for his behavior and hopes he will not be banned from the Oscars in the future.