Will Smith was NEVER asked to leave Oscars: report

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had previously released a statement on Wednesday insisting that the actor had been asked to leave the Dolby Theater following the slap.

According to TMZ, "after the slap Academy officials were backstage with Will's reps and there were heated conversations about what had gone down."

However, sourced told the outlet that "there was a split among the officials ... some did want him booted, but others did not. There were various discussions during several commercial breaks, but they never reached a consensus."

It appears that the Academy's position shifted on Smith as time went on. At first, the Academy never even mentioned his name when referring to the incident. But as time went on and public outrage blossomed, that was when the Academy claimed that Smith "took an aggressive stance and refused to leave."

TMZ claims that three separate sources came to them with the above information.