"Get my wife's name out of your f****** mouth" screamed Will Smith to Chris Rock in one of the most awkward moments in Oscars history. Video / TVNZ
Shamed Hollywood star Will Smith has decided his next move, taking time out at a luxurious retreat to recover from the stress after the outrage over his slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars.
The 53-year-old will visit a high-end US sanctuary to take a work break after the shock onstage assault at the awards ceremony.
A Hollywood insider told The Sun: "The impact of the backlash has hit Will hard, so he will be getting help on dealing with stress.
"This is unquestionably the battle of his career.
"It will be a high-end retreat used by the rich and famous and he will be doing a lot of soul-searching and working out how he can move forward.
"He hopes the conversation will move on so he can come back and salvage his reputation and career.
"His resignation speech raises the possibility that he fears he will be stripped of his Oscar. That would be a hammer blow to him."
Shamed Hollywood star Will Smith will take some time out at a luxurious retreat to recover from stress following the backlash over his slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars. Photo / AP
There are fears he could be stripped of his Best Actor award.
When announcing his resignation, he admitted his actions were "shocking, painful and inexcusable".
The 53-year-old slapped Rock on stage over a joke about his wife Jada's shaved head - a result of a hair loss condition called alopecia.
Smith's resignation statement read: "My actions were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.
"The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. Photo / AP
"I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.
"Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason."
Rock has moved on from the incident by continuing his comedy tour, where he has said he is still processing the incident and won't be addressing it in his comedy any time soon.
Smith's next movie, Emancipation, in which he stars as an escaped slave in 1863, has been tipped to win at next year's academy awards.
It was bought by Apple TV for $160 million in 2020 and is scheduled for release later this year.
