The decision was originally scheduled to be made on April 18, but was moved up to today after the 54-year-old actor apologized and resigned from the Academy.

Smith, who won the best actor Academy Award for his role in “King Richard,” slapped Oscars host Chris Rock after the 57-year-old comic made a “bald” crack about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia.

“The decision was made earlier this week to expedite the hearing in the wake of Will’s resignation,” the source explained. “And during that call, it was clear that the decision would go to the wire.”

However, after multiple calls with the 54-member jury, 24 of whom are women, remains at a 50/50 impasse over the verdict, per the watchdog.

“The governors themselves are also said to be in disagreement,” said the source, adding that the board deemed it hypocritical to rescind Smith’s statuette given that “convicted sexual predator Harvey Weinstein and child rapist, fugitive Roman Polanski still have their statutes.

It can be argued that actor Russell Crowe did not receive the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “A Beautiful Mind” after he roughed up a producer at the BAFTA’s for cutting his acceptance speech short in 2001.

Crowe had won the SAG, Golden Globe, and BAFTA, all precursors to winning the Oscar, before he threw a fit and a chair in England.

If the Academy demands that Smith returns his the Oscar, to whom will it go?

Or could the Academy give Smith “a slap on the wrist” and merely prevent him from giving out the best actress Oscar at the next Oscar ceremony as the best actor typically does.