Hollywood actor, Will Smith has been slammed with a 10-year ban by the Academy for slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Oscars Awards.
The Academy finally reached a decision two weeks after Will smacked Chris for making a G.I. Jane joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. during the live awards.
The Academy’s Board of Governors met Friday and, after a vote that took place, the Academy President and CEO released a statement reading, “The Board [of Governors] 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 statement went on to read, “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.”
Since the Academy’s announcement, Smith released a statement which reads, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
The President of the Academy even went on to thank Chris Rock: “We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances.”
