The Academy Bans Will Smith from Oscars & other Academy Events for 10 Years

For the next 10 years, Will Smith won’t be able to go to the Oscars or other Academy events following an unfortunate event between the actor and comedian Chris Rock where things got physical.

On Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the awards ceremony, met virtually to discuss disciplinary action.

The Academy noted in a statement that the ban was intended to protect performers and guests while also “restoring trust in the Academy.”

It stated that it did not “adequately address the situation in the room” at the time of the slap and was “unprepared for the unprecedented.” It apologized for this.

It also praised Chris Rock for keeping his cool.

Here’s the full statement as seen on Deadline;

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.