Friday, March 29, 2024

Actor Will Smith banned from attending Oscars for 10 years

Will Smith will not be allowed to attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a result of his slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during this year’s Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced in a statement.

“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 decision was made during a Board of Governors meeting held earlier in the day in Los Angeles.

“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” the actor said in a statement to CNN.

The Academy’s statement read: “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.”

Typically, the previous year’s best actor winner presents the current year’s best actress award and the reigning best actress presents to the best actor trophy. With Smith’s ban, the Oscars will have to break that tradition.

Smith struck Rock as the comedian was on stage presenting at the Academy Awards on 27 March after Rock had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s, close-cropped hair. Pinkett Smith suffers from hair loss due to alopecia.

Smith publicly apologized to Rock the day after the incident via social media.

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