The movement image academy on Friday banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars or some other academy occasion for 10 years following his slap of Chris Rock on the Academy Awards.
The transfer comes after a gathering of the academy’s board of governors to debate a response to Smith’s actions.
“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,” the academy mentioned in a press release.
Will Smith pre-emptively resigned from the academy final week in the course of the run-up to the assembly and mentioned he would settle for any punishment the academy handed down.
“I accept and respect the academy’s decision,” Smith mentioned in a press release.
The academy additionally apologised for its dealing with of the state of affairs and permitting Smith to remain and settle for his finest actor award for King Richard.
“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry,” the academy mentioned. “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.”
In a press release within the days following the Oscars, the academy mentioned Smith was requested to go away the ceremony however refused.
But it’s not clear how the message was delivered to Smith or what kind it took, and a number of other media retailers reported that he was by no means formally informed to go away the Dolby Theatre. The Los Angeles Times reported in a narrative on Thursday that Oscars producer Will Packer informed Smith: “Officially, we don’t want you to leave. We want you to stay.”
The ban means Will Smith is not going to be presenting one of many main awards at subsequent 12 months’s Oscars, as is custom for the perfect actor winner.
The academy in its assertion on Friday additionally expressed “deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances.”
The academy’s assertion didn’t tackle whether or not Smith might be nominated for Oscars throughout his 10-year ban. Nor did it take any motion to revoke Smith’s Academy Award.
The academy has not revoked Oscars from expelled members Harvey Weinstein or Roman Polanski.
