Following his slap at comedian Chris Rock at the ceremony, Will Smith has been prohibited from attending the Oscars and any Academy functions for the next ten years.
According to a statement from the Academy, the 94th Academy Awards were “overshadowed by the repugnant and harmful behavior we witnessed Mr. Smith show on stage.”
Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and apologized for his actions. The actor criticized Rock for making a joke about his wife, who has alopecia, a disorder that causes hair loss, and for shaving her head.
Less than an hour later, he received the best actor award for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in the movie “King Richard.”
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the awards ceremony, convened online on Friday to talk about sanctions.
The embargo was said to be intended to safeguard artists and visitors while also “restoring faith in the Academy,” according to a statement.
The Academy stated it was “unprepared for the unprecedented” and did not “adequately address the situation in the room” at the time of the slap. It apologized for doing this.
Additionally, it applauded Rock for “maintaining his cool under pressure.”
Smith expressed “heartbreak” over his conduct and claimed to have “betrayed the Academy’s confidence” in his resignation letter.
He continued by declaring that he would “fully accept any and all repercussions” for his deeds.
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After leaving, he won’t be allowed to cast a ballot for the Oscars in the future.
The Academy hastened its review of the incident’s disciplinary implications following Smith’s resignation. It had been scheduled on April 18th. Few individuals have ever escaped the facility.
Producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Bill Cosby, director Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel have all been expelled due to claims of sexual misconduct. Actor Carmine Caridi was also kicked out in 2004 for pirating screeners that were given to him.
Smith, however, faced a series of sanctions under the film academy’s code of conduct, including being barred from future Oscar ceremonies, having his eligibility for awards revoked, and having to hand over his recently earned Oscar.
There has only ever been one Oscar revocation; in 1969, “Young Americans” won best documentary but was later found to be ineligible for the award.
Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, said Smith would face “major penalties,” but added, “We’re not going to take that Oscar away from him.”
Smith’s projects have been placed on hold by at least two companies, Sony and Netflix, in addition to the Academy’s actions.
Rock has not commented on the event; his most recent stand-up comedy tour began immediately after the Oscars.
He recently said that he is “still kind of digesting what transpired” and that he will talk about the incident “at some time” in front of supporters.
