Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years after he slapped comedian, Chris Rock on stage, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Friday.
Smith is also not permitted to attend any other events held by Hollywood’s top film group over the next decade, but the board did not decide to revoke the best actor Oscar he won last month for “King Richard.”
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Recall that Smith had slapped Rock in the face on March 27 after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett’s shaved head — which is due to the hair-loss condition alopecia.
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The board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, made the announcement today, April 8, after meeting in Los Angeles to discuss possible sanctions.
The academy in an open letter said;
Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation.
“The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” said David Rubin, President of The Academy, organizers of Oscars award, and CEO Dawn Hudson in the letter.
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The announcement means that Smith will not be on hand to present the winner of the best actress trophy at next year’s Oscars ceremony — a tradition the producers behind the show have followed for many years.
The latest development comes few days after Smith resigned from the group behind the Academy Awards — a move that prevented the motion picture academy from suspending or expelling him.
The board had been set to meet on April 18 but brought the hearing forward to deal with the incident “in a timely fashion” following the actor’s resignation.
