The actor slapped the comedian after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.
Chris Rock didn't weigh in on whether Will Smith should be removed from the Oscars after the actor slapped him, a source tells ET. When Rock exited the stage following the incident with Smith, which came after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair, he "just wanted to leave" the Dolby Theatre, the source says.
Before departing the venue, though, Rock went downstairs to Oscars producer Will Packer's office, according to the source.
"Chris was never asked if he wanted to have Will Smith removed from theater. That was Dave and Dawn and Will Packer’s job, not Chris' decision to make," the source says, referring to Academy leaders David Rubin and Dawn Hudson, who did not speak to Rock that night after the incident.
Rock was, however, asked if he wanted to press charges against Smith, an offer he declined.
"The police came down to question him. Chris said he did not want to press charges -- they asked him twice -- and he said he just wanted to leave," the source says. "He got in his car immediately and left."
The source's statements come the same day that Packer's interview with Good Morning America aired. During the chat, the producer implied that, because Rock was "very dismissive" of the idea of pressing charges against Smith, the comedian also did not want the actor to be removed from the ceremony.
"They were about to physically remove Will Smith. I had not been a part of those conversations. I immediately went to the Academy leadership that was on site, and I said, 'Chris Rock doesn't want that... Rock has made it clear that he does not want to make a bad situation worse,'" Packer said. "That was Chris' energy. His tone was not retaliatory. His tone was not aggressive and angry. I was advocating what Rock wanted in that time, which was not to physically remove Will Smith at that time, because, as it has now been explained to me, that was the only option at that point."
A source tells ET that Packer’s interview with GMA was not set-up by the Academy, nor does the producer speak for the Academy.
In the wake of the incident, the Academy has said that a formal review is underway, and noted that they have "initiated disciplinary proceedings... which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct."
As for Smith, after the slap, the actor won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard. During his acceptance speech, he did not apologize to Rock , but instead offered apologies to his peers and the Academy. The next day, however, Smith took to Instagram to speak out again, this time apologizing to Rock specifically, as well as others who were impacted by his actions.
Rock spoke about the situation for the first time on Wednesday, telling the audience at his stand-up show in Boston, Massachusetts, that he was "still processing" everything, adding, "I will talk about it, and it will be serious, and it will be funny, but not tonight."
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