LOS ANGELES — The motion picture academy bans Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years following his slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
The move came after a meeting of the academy’s Board of Governors to discuss a response to Smith’s actions. It is unclear whether the ban would apply to future nominations.
“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 says in a statement.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith says in response. He pre-emptively resigned from the academy last week during the run-up to the meeting, calling his actions “shocking, painful, and inexcusable.”
The academy also apologizes for its handling of the situation and allowing Smith to stay and accept his best actor award for “King Richard.”
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 8, 2022
