(CNN) – Like many who watched the match that ended with Will Smith slapped Chris Rock On stage at the Academy Awards ceremony, Oscar-leading producer Will Packer thought it was planned.

But Smith – angry about Rock made joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith– After shouting obscenities from the audience after taking the stage to face Rock, Packer realized it was true.

“Once on stage I saw the bow screaming with so much vigor that my heart beat.” Packer told ABC’s Good Morning America’s DJ Holmes In an exclusive interview aired this Friday. “I remember saying, ‘Oh no. Aww. Not like that.’

“And Chris was cold when everyone lost their cool,” he added.

Packer had a quick idea of ​​what Has become one of the most popular and controversial moments History of the Academy Awards.

Immediately after the incident, Academy leaders asked Smith to leave through his promoter, But he refused, he said. Packer was told Smith was being physically fired, but Packer went to the academy leaders there and told them that Rock did not want that to happen, the producer told GMA on Friday.

“Rock has made it clear that he does not want to make the situation worse,” Packer said. “That’s Chris’ energy. His tone was not vindictive, his tone was not aggressively angry, so he was standing up for not physically taking Will Smith out when he wanted to rock.”

Will Smith’s attack ‘destroys’ producer

Packer, who saw Smith slap Rock, said he was not “immediately devastated as he did at the time,” and then ran toward Rock as Smith walked off the stage to make sure he was hit.

“I said, ‘Did he really hit you?'” Packer explained. “He looked at me and said, ‘Yes.’ As Chris Rock puts it, ‘I got a win from Mohammed Ali’. He immediately went into joke mode, but you can tell he’s still in shock. “Smith starred as the famous boxer in the 2001 movie” Ali “.

The show has seemed a bit unfocused in recent episodes, however;

“Because Chris handled the moment so elegantly, he allowed the show to continue,” Packer said. “Chris continued as he did, so he finished the genre [mejor documental]Presented the trophy to [ganador] Questlow, another person I think stole his moment, licensed us to continue the show, and that’s what we’re trying to do. “

Agents from the Los Angeles Police Department quickly entered Packer’s office, told the producer “Good Morning America” ​​that “it was an attack” and were preparing to arrest Smith that night.

The police said, “We will go looking for him. We are ready. We are ready to catch him right now. You can file a lawsuit. We can arrest him, ” Packer said. “As they were talking, Chris was dismissive of those options. He was like, ‘No, I’m fine.’ He was like, ‘No, no, no.’

Controversy erupted over Smith’s applause for winning the “King Richard” Best Actor award minutes after he hit the rock.

But Packer said he had a different perspective and believed people were celebrating Smith, not the action he was taking now.

“I think the people in that room were protecting someone they knew,” Packer said. “He’s a partner, he’s a friend, he’s a brother, he’s been the opposite of what we’ve seen for more than three decades.”

Smith publicly apologized to Rock The next day through social networks. The producer said Smith also approached Packer the next morning, apologizing and expressing embarrassment.

The The academy has begun “disciplinary procedures” Against Smith.