Will Smith Banned From Oscars And Film Academy Events For The Next 10 Years.

The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took the action at a meeting on Friday, ruling on Will Smith’s behavior at the Oscars late last month: A 10-year ban from attending any Academy-held events, including the Oscars themselves. This coming just a week after Smith had resigned from the group.

“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year,” academy President David Rubin and Chief Executive Dawn Hudson said in a statement.

“However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.”

In a statement, Smith said, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

Smith has been in the crosshairs of the Academy ever since the 94th annual Academy Awards, when he walked onto the stage at the Dolby Theater and slapped comedian Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Although Smith ultimately stayed in the theater that night—and gave an emotionally charged speech while picking up his Best Actor Oscar for King Richard—the following days saw the Academy issue statements that it would be taking disciplinary action against him.

Rock’s joke about Pinkett Smith made a reference to the 1997 film “G.I. Jane” in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that she has a condition that causes hair loss.

The academy came under criticism for allowing Smith to stay in his seat at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood after the outburst and let him take the stage to accept his award.

In the Friday statement, the academy’s leaders said they did not adequately address the situation during the telecast.

“For this, we are sorry,” they said. “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.”

They also expressed “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,” they said.

“We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.’

Smith has some big projects coming up, including AppleTV+’s ‘Emancipation’ directed by Antoine Fuqua, which is already wrapped. Other projects at Netflix and Sony are on pause for the moment. Will Smith’s career will surely be on hold for a bit, However, Smith is a global superstar with a huge fanbase. There’s no doubt that we’ll see the actor right back on the A-list soon enough.

Read AMPAS President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson’s full letter to Academy members here:

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