The Academy has released their punishment for Will Smith following the slapping incident. Smith will be banned from attending the Oscars for ten years.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the punishment in a statement on Friday.
The Academy bans Will Smith from attending the Oscars and any other Academy events for 10 years: pic.twitter.com/hoIuHnVpjD
— Clarissa-Jan Lim (@clarissajanlim) April 8, 2022
“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 Academy said Friday.
“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.” it added.
“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,” they continued.
“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,” the statement concluded signed by President of the Academy, David Rubin and CEO, Dawn Hudson.
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Smith responded shortly after the announcement.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said according to PageSix.
As previously reported, Will Smith announced in a statement Friday that he resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
