Hollywood actor Will Smith has been banned from all Academy events including the Oscars for 10 years.
This comes after the “King Richard” star made global headlines after he smacked Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars ceremony for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.
Following the shocking incident, the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences banned Smith from all events including the Oscars for the next 10 years.
Below is the Academy’s full statement following their meeting on Friday,
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.
During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
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.
We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
Smith who resigned from the Academy after disciplinary proceedings were launched will keep his Oscar for best actor after the Academy made no move to strip him of the award. This seems to be in keeping with the Academy’s attitude towards unseemly behaviour.
Smith, who resigned from the Academy after disciplinary proceedings were launched, will keep his Oscar for best actor after the Academy made no move to strip him of the award. This seems to be in keeping with the Academy’s attitude towards inappropriate behaviour.
Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy in 2017 after his decades of sexual abuse were exposed. However, he was not stripped of his Oscar for producing Shakespeare in Love” (1998).
Harvey Weinstein was handed a 23-year-long sentence after he was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He has been involved in 81 Oscar wins, winning one himself.
