The Academy Announces Will Smith's Punishment for Slapping Chris Rock at Oscars
Will Smith has officially been banned from the Oscars following his viral on-air slap of Chris Rock during the 94th Annual Academy Awards on March 27. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors on Friday announced the actor, who took home the award for Best Actor for King Richard, will not be able to attend the Oscars for the next 10 years due to the incident.
In a letter released Friday to the full membership, AMPAS president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson wrote, "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," according to Deadline. The more than 50-person strong Board of Governors, which includes Steven Spielberg, Ava DuVernay, Laura Dern and Whoopi Goldberg among its current roster, with Smith having resigned from the AMPAS on April 1 amid the controversy. The Board's letter went on to note the ban "is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy."
The incident leading to the ban occurred during the March 27 ceremony as Rock presented the Best Documentary Feature. While on stage, the comedian made several jokes, including one about Smith's wife, Jada Pickett Smith, and her shaved head, a hairstyle choice she made due to alopecia. Smith walked to the stage and slapped Rock across the face. When he took his seat, Smith yelled at the comedian to take his wife's name out of his "f-ing mouth" twice.
"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," the AMPAS Board's letter addressed the incident. "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... 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."
Smith's ban from attending the Oscars for the next decade means there will be a major move away from tradition during the 95th Academy Awards next year. While it is tradition for the previous year's Best Actor winner to present the Best Actress award, Smith's ban means he will be unable to fulfill this role. Smith will, however, still be eligible for nominations in future years amid his ban. Addressing the AMPAS Board's decision, Smith said in a statement to Page Six, "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."