ON Saturday, the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences issued a 10-year ban on actor Will Smith, prohibiting him from attending any Academy-held events, including, of course, the Oscars themselves.
The ruling marks the culmination of events that began at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, when Smith walked onto the stage at the Dolby Theatre and slapped comedian Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The slap drew drew widespread condemnation for the star, including calls to strip him of his award for Best Actor, which he won that night for his performance in King Richard.
Several days later, Smith issued his apologies to Rock, as well as his resignation as a member of the Academy.
The ban means that while Smith may continue to be nominated and be allowed to win for future performances, he will have to send a proxy to collect the award on his behalf.
Smith issued a short statement not long after the Academy revealed its verdict: “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
The once-untouchable actor has been facing continued fallout from the incident. Several projects that he was due to star in have been put on hold, including the Netflix-backed crime thriller Fast and Loose. Similarly, a fourth instalment of the iconic Bad Boys franchise, in which Smith plays one of the film’s leads alongside Martin Lawrence, is also on pause.
