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Will Smith was forbidden to attend Academy Awards for 10 years
Will Smith will be banned from attending the Academy Awards for the next ten years after slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during this year’s ceremony, according to a statement obtained by CNN from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“The Board has decided that Mr. Smith will not be authorized to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or digitally, for a period of ten years beginning April 8, 2022,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement on Friday.
The decision was taken during a Board of Governors meeting in Los Angeles earlier that day.
After Smith announced his retirement from the Academy last week, the meeting, which was originally set for April 18, was pushed up.
Smith’s remark on his ten-year exile from the Oscars was brief and to the point.
In a statement to CNN, the actor stated, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
According to a board member, the decision came after “loads of debate” about the repercussions of his on-stage smack.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who accomplished outstanding work this past year,” the Academy said in its letter. “However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and damaging behavior we saw Mr. Smith demonstrate on stage.”
“We did not sufficiently handle the issue in the room during our show,” the letter continued. “We apologize for this. We had a chance to set an example for our guests, viewers, and Academy family throughout the world, but we failed miserably because we were unprepared for the unprecedented.”
In a prior statement, the Board of Governors stated that the situation should be “addressed in a timely manner.”
Smith’s departure means he is no longer a member of the Academy’s voting body, but it does not exclude him from being nominated in the future, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Because “the standards of conduct guidelines” at play in today’s move “do not relate to awards eligibility,” a source close to the Academy with firsthand knowledge of the rules told CNN on Friday, Smith can still be nominated while being prevented from attending the Oscars.
Source: HERE
