Will Smith Banned From Attending Oscars for 10 Years After Chris Rock Slap
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has banned Will Smith from attending an Oscars ceremony for 10 years following his on-stage slap of Chris Rock.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy’s board of governors held a meeting on Friday morning to determine how to handle the Smith slapping incident.
Before Smith resigned from the Academy last week, calling his actions “inexcusable,” the board was expected to either suspend or expel the actor, as he violated a code of conduct implemented amid the #MeToo movement.
The Academy accepted Smith’s resignation, which barred him from voting for the Oscars, yet allowed him to be considered as a future nominee and keep the award he won this year.
The Academy’s review continued following Smith’s resignation, ultimately determining that “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.”
Smith addressed the slapping incident shortly after it occurred, apologizing to the Academy while accepting the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard Williams in the film King Richard.
The actor later apologized to Rock directly in an Instagram post, writing, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.”
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong,” Smith added. “I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Update — April 8, 3:49 p.m. ET: Smith accepted the decision in a statement soon after.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” he said, according to Deadline.
Deadline additionally published the full statement from Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson. Read it below:
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.
Thank you
