Hollywood actor Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years. This comes after the actor walked up on stage during the Oscars and slapped actor-comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s medical condition. His actions took the live audience as well as the viewers by surprise and much has happened post that.
According to a report in NDTV, the actor is also not allowed to be present at any other events held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the next decade.
However, the board, which sent a letter from Academy chiefs did not mention anything about revoking the best actor award Will Smith won for ‘King Richard’, nor did it mention any ban on future Oscar nominations.
"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," president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson wrote in the statement.
According to reports, the Academy governors met on Friday (April 8) morning to discuss Will Smith’s consequences. Board members Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg were also part of the discussions. They were actually to meet and decide whether to expel or suspend Will Smith from the academy, but the actor resigned from the academy himself a few days back.
On April 2, he put out a statement announcing that he is resigning from the Motion Picture Academy. In his statement, he wrote that he is ‘heartbroken’ for the way things turned out and that he takes all the responsibility for what happened. He also said that his actions actually spoilt the atmosphere of the Academy Awards, which are celebratory in nature. “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason,” his statement read.
