Will Smith Banned From Oscars For 10 Years

Will Smith is still facing the consequences of slapping Chris Rock on live TV at the 2022 Oscars: The actor has been banned from the Oscars for 10 years, according to a report from Variety.

On Friday, a week after Smith officially resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences—getting ahead of his anticipated expulsion—the Board of Governors for the Academy met to discuss what further punishment could be taken against Smith, now that expulsion or suspension was no longer an option.

Called “sanctions” by Academy president David Rubin, Smith is officially banned from the Academy for a decade, beginning today, April 8, 2022. That includes all Academy-held events, including the Oscars ceremony. That means you won’t see Smith at the Oscars until at least 2033.

The board also apologized for not taking swift action during the awards ceremony.

Soon after the announcement, Smith responded to his ban with a statement, saying, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

The Academy announced the ban on Friday afternoon, with the following statement:

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.

Smith was not stripped of the Best Actor Oscar he won at the 2022 Oscars for his performance in King Richard, following the precedent the Academy has set by letting convicted criminal Roman Polanski—the Polish and French director who was charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977—keep his Oscar for The Pianist. (It should be noted that the Academy, in fact, awarded this Oscar to Polanski years after he was convicted.)

Last week, Smith formally resigned from The Academy, giving up all his privileges and benefits that come with membership, including voting in future Academy Award ceremonies. In a statement with his resignation, Smith apologized to Rock and the Academy, saying, “I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy.”

Smith added he would accept any other punishment the Academy board deemed appropriate.

On March 27, at the 94th Academy Awards, Smith left audiences in shock. After comedian Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head—which she has been open about sporting due to her autoimmune disease alopecia—Smith got out of his seat, walked across the stage, and slapped Rock across the face. He then shouted at Rock from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”

Less than an hour later, Smith, openly crying, accepted the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. The following day, the Academy was slammed by critics for not immediately removing Smith from the premises, and allowing Smith to accept his Oscar.