Hopefully, this is the end of this whole saga. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has banned Will Smith from the ceremony for ten years. This is of course in response to his slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars this year. In addition, it’s a ban from all Academy events, not just the Oscars. Smith resigned from the Academy last week and made a statement saying “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision”.
The Academy had this to say:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Please Be The End Of All The Discourse
Will Smith’s slap was shocking, yes. It was one of the worst moments in the history of the Oscars and has no place in our society. This punishment is severe and hopefully ends all the discourse. The bigger question is what happens to Will Smith’s career and if he’s ever nominated for an Oscar again.
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