Authors:
Precious ‘Mamazeus’ Nwogu
The actor will not be permitted to attend the awards ceremony or any other Academy related event for the duration of his ban.
The Academy of motion picture, arts and sciences has announced its disciplinary actions against actor, Will Smith over his infamous Oscars slap.
In a statement released a few hours ago, the Academy’s board of Governors confirmed that the actor has now been ban for 10 years. The ban restricts Smith from attending the Oscars or associated events either in person or virtually.
“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,” an excerpt of the statement reads.
While the Academy’s statement remains silent on if Smith can be nominated for future Oscars despite his ban, production companies have already begun disassociating themselves from projects already in development with the actor.
According to multiple Hollywood media outlets, Netflix, earlier this week, pulled out of its ‘Fast and Loose’ thriller project which would have had Smith in its lead role.
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.
