Will’s fate has been decided by the Oscars.
Will Smith has been barred from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years after assaulting Chris Rock during this year’s event, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which confirmed the suspension on Friday.
“The Board has determined that Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to join any Academy events or programmes, in person or online, including but not limited to the Academy Awards, for a period of 10 years, beginning April 8, 2022,” the Academy said in a statement Friday.
Smith is still eligible for honours.
The suspension comes almost two weeks after the world witnessed Smith, 53, storm onto the stage at the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony and smack comedian Chris Rock across the face after the comic poked fun at Smith’s wife’s hair.
Smith issued a statement saying he acknowledges and respects the Academy’s decision.
The Oscars were overshadowed by the reprehensible and damaging behaviour we saw Mr. Smith show on stage, according to a letter signed by academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.
According to the Academy, “the circumstance in the room” was not adequately addressed in real time, for which the Academy apologised. “This was a moment to set an example for our guests, viewers, and Academy family throughout the world, and we fell short – unprepared for the unprecedented,” according to the release.
That statement thanked Rock for being calm in the face of “exceptional situations,” and it also applauded the evening’s moderators, nominees, and winners for their poise under duress.
“This action we are taking today in reaction to Will Smith’s actions is a step toward a bigger aim of ensuring the safety of our artists and visitors and rebuilding faith in our Academy,” the message said on Friday. “We hope that this may be a time of healing and restoration for everyone engaged and affected.”
The Academy had planned an April 18 meeting to examine “potential punishments” against Smith, however elected to move that meeting to Friday to speed the process.
“We were obligated to present Mr. Smith with notice 15 days before to the board meeting at which such action would be taken, as well as offer him the chance to provide the board with a written statement no less than five days prior to that meeting,” Rubin allegedly stated in that address.
Smith, who apologised to Rock and the Academy for his explosion, surrendered from the Academy last week in a statement vowing to “take any additional repercussions the Board deems necessary.” He also said that his actions at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony were surprising, hurtful, and unacceptable.
Rock has not publicly addressed the event, which he allegedly stated he was still kind of digesting during a comedy act in Boston last week.
The Academy was rumoured to be considering stripping Smith of the award he received immediately after hitting Rock. That chatter was received with scepticism, given that sexual predators Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski had not had their Academy Awards removed.
Surveying association Morning Consult revealed days after Smith slapped Rock that the Philadelphia-raised actor’s favorability rating had dropped to 50%, 30 points lower than it was in 2020. According to the study, two-thirds of respondents thought Smith’s actions were improper.
The dispute arose after Rock joked that he couldn’t wait to see the short-haired Jada Pinkett Smith — Smith’s wife — in a sequel to the 1997 film “G.I. Jane,” in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. Jada Pinkett Smith was irritated by the joke since she suffers from alopecia, a condition that causes going bald. It’s unclear whether Rock was aware of her situation. Kenny Rock, his brother, stated that he didn’t know.
Comics two of the ceremony’s hostesses, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer, applauded Rock for how he took care of himself following the smack.
