The Academy has reached its decision regarding Will Smith.
Following last month’s Academy Awards, where Smith slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has ruled that the King Richard star has been banned from returning to the Oscars or attending any other Academy events for the next 10 years.
The Academy’s Board of Governors held a meeting on Friday morning to determine what action to take against Smith, who won his first Oscar during this year’s ceremony.
“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,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement 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.”
The letter continued, “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.”
The punishment comes one week after Smith announced that he was resigning from the organization, saying he will “fully accept any and all consequences” for his “shocking, painful, and inexcusable” conduct. Some of his film projects have also been put on hold in the wake of the controversy, including a Netflix movie and Bad Boys 4.
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