Will Smith banned by the Academy from attending the Oscars for 10 years after slapping Chris Rock

Actor Will Smith dominated headlines and trends during the Academy Awards 2022 that was held last month- courtesy of his mid-ceremony slap to comedian Chris Rock on stage. Two weeks after the incident that stunned the world, the board of the Oscars announced that the actor has been banned from attending the awards for the next 10 years. He is also not permitted to attend any other events held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the next decade.

"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," wrote president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson in a letter. The Board, however, did not revoke Smith's Best Actor Award for King Richard nor did it mention a ban on future Oscar nominations.

At the 2022 Oscars on March 27, Will had walked up to the stage and slapped 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.

After the incident, Will apologised both to the Academy and to Chris Rock. He had said that his actions did not reflect the man he wants to be. He even resigned from the Academy voluntarily. Meanwhile, Chris refused to press charges against Will.

The statement by the Academy 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."

“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,” the statement further read.

In concluding the statement, the Academy stated that the action is "is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy."

ALSO READ: Netflix backs away from Will Smith’s Fast and Loose post Chris Rock slapgate at Oscars 2022

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