After a meeting of the academy governors on possible sanctions against Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock, they decided that a 10-year ban from the academy’s affairs will be suitable.
The meeting took place on Zoom; where the board members discussed whether to suspend or expel Will Smith for his actions against Chris Rock.
Academy president David Rubin revealed this in a letter to board members on Wednesday. “It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.”
Chris Rock’s brother Kenny Rock told the Los Angeles Times that Smith “belittled (Chris Rock) in front of millions of people that watch the show.”
Some people in the public think that; taking away Smith’s award is considered unlikely; as the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski did not have their Oscars revoked when they were expelled from the Academy; in the wake of sexual assault scandals.
Will Smith on the other hand had tendered his resignation from the Academy last week while apologizing for his actions.
The Outcome of the Meeting
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences concluded that; Will Smith has been disallowed from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years after he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.
Will Smith is also not permitted to attend any other events; held by Hollywood’s top film group over the next decade, but the board did not decide to revoke the best actor Oscar he won last month for “King Richard”
President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson in a letter said; The Board also decided, that “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,” he said
“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,” they wrote.
“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,” they said.
“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,” they added. “We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
Read the full story on what transpired between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscar Award
