Will was not asked to leave the Oscars

TMZ says sources confirmed there was talk that the academy was split and wanted Will to leave but decided not to.

I never believed the story of him refusing to leave because it didn’t make sense in the first place. If they want someone to leave and they say no, they have the option and resources to escort you out. Also, will doesn’t seem like the kind of person to say no if asked to leave somewhere especially a place like the Oscars.

Source: https://www.tmz.com/2022/03/31/academy-lied-asking-will-smith-to-leave-oscars-slap-chris-rock

Additionally, Whoopi Goldberg who is on the board explained on The View why they didn’t want him to leave and explicitly explained why Will Packer told Will he could stay.

‘The reason they didn't go and take him out is because that would have been another 15, 20 minute explanation of why we're taking the Black man out five seconds before they're about to decide whether he's won an Oscar or not. So that's, and I'm going to say I believe [Oscars producer] Will Packer made the right decision. He said, let's get through the rest of this so we can deal with it wholeheartedly. So that's what went on.‘

It also seems weird that three days AFTER the incident after the academy received scrutiny for not asking him to leave they put out this statement to cover their ass.

It just doesn’t make sense and I was skeptical of it in the first place. But who knows?

I guess we won’t really know what went down until Will does an interview about it and I’m hoping it’s the red table talk.