The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) has voted to ban Will Smith from all of its events, including the Academy Award ceremony, for the next 10 years.
What Happened: Smith disrupted the March 27 telecast after he went on the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock when the latter made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith then returned to his seat and began shouting obscene messages at Rock to stop mentioning his wife's name.
Later in the evening, Smith received the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “King Richard,” receiving a standing ovation from the ceremony’s audience. He offered a partial apology during his acceptance speech that did not mention Rock — he would apologize to Rock the following day on Instagram.
The AMPAS leadership issued a statement that called Smith’s behavior "unacceptable and harmful” while acknowledging the matter was poorly handled.
“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room,” the AMPAS statement said. “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.”
The Oscars telecast aired live on ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS)
See Also: Chris Rock Fans Are Forking Over A Ton Of Money For Standup Tour After Will Smith Slap At The Oscars
What Else Happened: Smith resigned from the Academy earlier this week, which AMPAS accepted. However, his resignation limited the punishment options — there is no precedent for an Oscar winner to have an award revoked for off-screen behavior, and Smith was not arrested for his actions after Rock declined to press charges.
Producer Harvey Weinstein and filmmaker Roman Polanski still retain their Oscars despite their respective felony convictions — and Polanski won his Best Director Oscar for the 2003 film “The Pianist” while he remained in European exile as a fugitive from his 1978 conviction for drugging and raping a minor.
“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,” the AMPAS statement said.
While Smith will be persona non grata for the next 10 years, AMPAS noted his “resignation and barring from future telecasts do not preclude him from being nominated or even winning future Academy Awards during that time.”
Photo of Will Smith in his Oscar-winning "King Richard" performance, courtesy of Warner Bros., an AT&T (NYSE:T) company.
