Oscars slams 10-year ban on Will Smith
Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars gala and other Academy events for 10 years after the US actor slapped comic Chris Rock at the Oscars.
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Science, which organises the awards ceremony, met virtually on Friday to discuss disciplinary action.
Smith has apologised for his actions and resigned from the Academy.
The actor hit Rock for joking about his wife’s shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia.
Less than an hour later, he was awarded the best actor award for his role in “King Richard”, where he played the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
In a statement, the Academy said the 94th Oscars had been “overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage”.
The organisation said that at the time of the slap it did not “adequately address the situation in the room” and had been “unprepared for the unprecedented”. It apologised for this.
Moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscar Award
Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars gala and other Academy events for 10 years.
This follows his conduct at the last Oscars, where he slapped comedian, Chris Rock, over a joke he found offensive about his wife.
Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett, announced in 2018 that she was suffering from Alopecia areata, a condition that causes sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that may overlap.
During the event, Rock made a ‘GI Jane’ joke which irked the actor and his wife and prompted the actor to walk on stage and dish the comedian a slap.
Chris Rock, who hosted the show, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, and film director.
After working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in supporting film roles, Rock gained prominence as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s.
The Academy had responded to the incident, saying, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form. Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
On Friday, it met virtually and announced the discuss disciplinary action. Smith has since apologised for his action and resigned from the Academy.