Will Smith banned from any Academy event for 10 years

Will Smith

Actor, Will Smith has been banned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Science after the Board of Governors met on Friday to discuss the consequences of slapping comedian,Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars. And they voted to ban the “King Richard” actor from all Academy events including the Oscars for 10 years.

Here is the Academy’s statement:

“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.”

Hmm, some are still insisting Will return his award: well I don’t think that is necessary. He deserved to win for the role he played in King Richard. They are people like Harvey Weinstein and director Roman Polanski who have done worse and still hold their Oscars following their expulsions.

I’m sure Will regrets his action now and can see how this has affected his career and character.

Love to hear from you

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner