Oscars slapgate fallout: It's a 10-yr ban for Will Smith, actor says he respects Academy decision

Hollywood’s leading actor Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years. The Academy announced its decision two weeks after Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock.

According to the edict by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Smith has been prohibited from attending the Oscars and other events hosted by it over the next decade.

Earlier, it was speculated that the slapping incident might lead to the Academy revoking Smith’s Best Actor Award for ‘King Richard’. However, the latest development has only barred the actor from attending the Oscars and other events hosted by the Academy.


"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," wrote president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson in a letter.

Following the announcement, the 53-year-old actor said that he accepted and respected the Academy’s decision. "I accept and respect the Academy's decision," Smith was quoted as saying by a Hollywood trade publication.

"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 behaviour we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage," said the Academy letter.

The 94th Academy Awards was marked by the unsavoury slapping incident. Although the ratings of the event skyrocketed following the incident, Will Smith was heavily criticised by the media and the fans. The scuffle between Will Smith and Chris Rock led to an ocean of memes on social media.

Smith who bagged the Best Actor trophy, slapped host comedian Chris Rock after he joked about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith on stage. Rock had made an off-colour joke about Smith’s wife following which, Smith got on the stage and smacked comedian Chris Rock bringing the ceremony to a standstill.

Rock had compared Jada’s cropped hair to Demi Moore’s look in ‘GI Jane’ (1997). After the comment, Will slapped Rock saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your ***** mouth.” Jada had revealed in 2018 that she suffers from alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.

A day after the incident, Smith issued an apology saying that he regretted his emotional reaction. “My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally…I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” Smith posted on his Instagram.

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