Black american actor, Will Smith has been banned from all future academy events for 10 years. This is the disciplinary action taken by the Academy after he slapped Chris Rock onstage.
An excerpt of the statement from the academy of motion, picture, arts and sciences read: “Will 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 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star in reply accepted the Academy’s decision.
Recall that the ‘Fresh Prince’, who is also a rapper and a film producer slapped American comedian, Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars award ceremony. The actor later resigned from the Academy.
The full statement reads:
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 behaviour 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.
