After punching comedian Chris Rock on stage for making fun of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith has been barred from attending any Academy functions, including the Oscars, for ten years.
After meeting in Los Angeles to discuss possible sanctions, the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, issued the announcement today, April 8.
“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 statement added: “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.”
Smith, 53, had previously resigned his membership in the Academy, giving up his voting rights, and stated that he would accept any repercussions before the disciplinary hearing.
The board had been set to meet on April 18 but brought the hearing forward to deal with the incident “in a timely fashion” following the actor’s resignation.
