After Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, many have been curious to know what consequences Will Smith would receive. While Chris Rock chose not to press charges and Will Smith resigned from the Academy before they could remove him, it seems they still found a way to punish him. It’s been announced that Will Smith has been banned from attending any Academy events or programs for the next 10 years.
This decision, which was revealed in a statement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, also received a response from Will Smith. The actor has stated that he both accepts and respects the decision made by the Academy.
Here’s the full 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.
The statement then continued by expressing gratitude for Chris Rock, who maintained “his composure under extraordinary circumstances.” Furthermore, they noted how they hope to “begin a time of healing and restoration.”
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,
David Rubin and Dawn Hudson”
It’s certainly an interesting situation, and one we’ll probably continue to see repercussions from in the near future. Will Smith is a major celebrity, and having made such a major mistake, it’s clear that it will impact his career for quite some time. This is evident by the fact Will Smith is now banned from Academy events for the next 10 years. With that said, fans can stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more updates on that front as we have them.