Actor Will Smith has been banned by the Academy Motion of Pictures Arts and Sciences from attending the Oscars for next ten years following his slap of Chris Rockat the Academy Awards.
The Academy made the announcement Friday in a letter sent by president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.
“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 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 letter continued. “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.”
During the Oscars on March 27, 2022, Will had walked up to the stage and smacked Chris on the face after the comedian made a joke at Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense. Will went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor later that night.
Later, Smith released a statement on the matter , “I accept and respect the academy’s decision.”
Will had also publicly apologised to Chris Rock for slapping him onstage during the Oscars 2022, saying his behaviour was unacceptable.
Ms Kalinga