Academy Member Says 'No Excuse' for Will Smith Hitting Chris Rock at Oscars: 'It Has Tarnished Him'

“It’s so unfortunate,” one Hollywood insider who is also a member of the Academy tells PEOPLE of the Sunday incident, when Smith struck Chris Rock onstage over a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. “The first thing we teach our children is use your words and not your hands, and that was a brutal display of unbridled anger. And there was no excuse for it,” the Academy member adds. “It has tarnished him.

Academy Reveals It Asked Will Smith to Leave 2022 Oscars After Outburst and He 'Refused'

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Will Smithwas asked to leave the 94th Academy Awards after hisonstage altercationwithChris Rockover a joke directed at wifeJada Pinkett Smith, but “refused,” according to a new statement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” reads a statement issued to PEOPLE. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.

Academy Says Inquiry Into Will Smith Hitting Chris Rock on Oscars Stage 'Will Take a Few Weeks'

The Academy’s investigation of the situation surroundingWill Smithstriking Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards in front of millions of viewers could take weeks to pan out. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic “We will continue to update you on any developments, but we also ask that you respect your Board, Academy staff and the process as this unfolds so it can work in the considered way it was intended and mandated,” they continued.

Academy to Replace Hattie McDaniel's 'Historic' Missing Oscar Trophy forGone with the Wind

Hattie McDaniel with her Oscar on March 2, 1940, in Los Angeles.Photo:Getty Getty On Tuesday, the group announced their plans to issue a replacement of the trophy that McDaniel won for Best Supporting Actress at the 1940 Academy Awards, for her performance inGone with the Wind. The honor made McDaniel the first Black person to win an Oscar. “The Academy will gift to the Howard UniversityChadwick A. BosemanCollege of Fine Arts a replacement of actor Hattie McDaniel’s Best Supporting Actress Academy Award®,” according toan official release.

Academy Updates Oscars Rules and Penalties for Online Campaigning After 'To Leslie' Controversy

Photo: Matt Petit - Handout/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty ImagesNew rules and penalties are now in place for Oscar campaigning followingcontroversy from this year’s ceremony.In January, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it would be reviewing its policies foronline campaigningafter some spoke out about the movieTo Leslie’s campaign that got actressAndrea Riseborougha surprise last-minute nomination. Later that month, the Academy said it found “social media and outreach campaigning tactics that caused concern” that season.