Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years for slapping Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards last month.
Deadline reports that in a letter sent to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) membership today, president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson wrote, "The [Board of Governors] 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," deeming his behaviour "unacceptable and harmful."
The full letter to Academy members from president Rubin and CEO Hudson [via Deadline] can be read below.
Smith — who would go on to win Best Actor for his role in King Richard later in the evening — resigned from AMPAS on April 1. In a statement upon his resignation, Smith called his actions "shocking, painful, and inexcusable," writing that he "will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate."
Smith had previously apologized to Rock publicly before his resignation from AMPAS, writing in part, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be."
Smith slapped Rock onstage following the comedian's joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's hairstyle. Pinkett-Smith, Smith's wife, has been open about her struggle with alopecia. Rock was reportedly unaware of her hair loss condition prior to making a G.I. Jane joke.
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.
Thank you
Deadline reports that in a letter sent to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) membership today, president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson wrote, "The [Board of Governors] 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," deeming his behaviour "unacceptable and harmful."
The full letter to Academy members from president Rubin and CEO Hudson [via Deadline] can be read below.
Smith — who would go on to win Best Actor for his role in King Richard later in the evening — resigned from AMPAS on April 1. In a statement upon his resignation, Smith called his actions "shocking, painful, and inexcusable," writing that he "will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate."
Smith had previously apologized to Rock publicly before his resignation from AMPAS, writing in part, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be."
Smith slapped Rock onstage following the comedian's joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's hairstyle. Pinkett-Smith, Smith's wife, has been open about her struggle with alopecia. Rock was reportedly unaware of her hair loss condition prior to making a G.I. Jane joke.
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.
Thank you
