The Academy of Motion Pictures is taking disciplinary action against Will Smith following the much-discussed slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. In an open letter obtained by TMZ on April 8, Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson revealed that Smith will be banned from the Oscars for 10 years.
“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 letter began. “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.”
The letter continued, “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.”
Rubin and Hudson went on to praise Chris Rock for “maintaining his composure” immediately following the incident. “We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances,” the statement read. “We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters, and winners for their poise and grace during the telecast. 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.”
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