Will Smith gets 10 year ban from Oscars. But he also resigned as its member.
After his infamous and controversial assault on Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards recently, actor Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars for 10 years.
The decision was announced by the organizers of the Oscars- the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences over the weekend. They determined that "for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, 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 a letter sent by Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.
"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," they wrote.
The “King Richard” actor said in a statement via his rep.
"I have directly responded to the Academy's disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy."
Smith concluded,
"So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason."
The newly- minted best actor for his performance in "King Richard" walked on stage and slapped fellow actor Rock in what at first appeared to be a scripted joke. It became apparent that the altercation was not scripted at all as moments later Rock said “Wow,” on the mic, followed by
“Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me”.
Tags:# Oscars, #Hollywood, #violence, #entertainment