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Oscars producer Will Packer recently opened up about the aftermath of the Will Smith-Chris Rock slapping incident.
During an interview with Good Morning America, Packer revealed that the LAPD was set to arrest Smith on charges of "battery" before Rock refused to press charges. He said:
"They were saying, you know, this is battery was the word they use in that moment. They said we will go get him; we are prepared. We're prepared to get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him."
He continued:
"They were laying out the options, and as they were talking, Chris was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'No, I'm fine.' He was like, 'No, no, no.'"
In a previous statement, the LAPD confirmed that "the individual involved [Chris Rock] has declined to file a police report."
Packer headed the Oscars' first all-Black production team at the 94th Academy Awards. He later told GMA that he did not directly speak to Smith after he slapped Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head.
Everything to know about Will Packer
Will Packer is one of the most renowned filmmakers in Hollywood. He is the founder and CEO of Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media.
The producer was born on April 11, 1974, and grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1991 and later enrolled in Florida A&M University.
Packer graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1996. During his time at the university, he started filmmaking with Rob Hardy and worked as an intern with producer Warrington Hudlin.
Following their graduation, the duo founded Rainforest Films in Atlanta. The organization has made film projects like Trois, Trois: The Escort, Motives, Lockdown, The Gospel, and This Christmas, among others.
Packer also produced five top-ranked movies with Rainforest Films, including Think Like A Man, Ride Along, Stomp The Yard, Obsessed, and Takers.
The filmmaker founded Will Packer Productions in 2013, a year before Rainforest Films was dissolved.
Under his own banner, Packer has produced record-breaking films like Girls Trip and Night School, as well as #1 movies like No Good Deed and What Men Want, among others.
He also served as the executive producer of Straight Outta Compton and the television mini-series Roots. His most recent film, The Photograph, debuted in February 2020.
Packer also founded Will Packer Media, a television, digital, and branded content company, in 2017. Projects under the banner include Ambitions, Ready To Love, The Baxters, Powerstar Live, Truth Be Told, Uncle Buck, Being Mary Jane, and the Emmy-nominated Roots remake.
More recently, the company produced projects like Blackballed, Atlanta Child Murderers, The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins, and Shark Trip: Eat. Prey. Chum.
On October 29, 2021, Florida A&M University honored Packer by renaming its amphitheater the Will Packer Amphitheater. He was also named the producer of the 94th Annual Academy Awards.
Packer married his first wife Nina Packer in July 2001. They have two daughters, Nija and Maya. The pair parted ways in February 2009.
The filmmaker then started dating Heather Hayslett and proposed to her live on stage at the 2013 Essence Music Festival. The duo tied the knot in August 2015 in Georgia.
