It has been almost two weeks since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The Academy met today (April 8) to decide what “consequences” Smith will face for the incident, which saw the actor hit Rock on stage and curse him after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. “Janta, I love you. GI Jane 2, I’m looking forward to seeing you, “Rock joked in an obvious reference to Pinkett Smith ‘s shaved head. Pinkett Smith said last year she shaved her head after battling alopecia. Smith, who won the Best Actor award later in the ceremony, took the stage and hit Rock before shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.” In a statement issued after the incident, the Academy “condemned” Smith’s actions and said it was launching an investigation into possible sanctions. “The academy condemns Mr. Smith’s actions in last night’s show,” the group said in a statement. “We have formally launched a formal review of the incident and will investigate further actions and consequences in accordance with our Statutes, Ethics Standards and California law.” Smith subsequently resigned from the Academy, but some speculated that he could be stripped of his Best Actor award – which he won at this year’s ceremony, for his role in the tennis biography of King Richard. Follow live updates below.

Basic points

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Gervais was a very important voice among the celebrities in the aftermath of the Smith-Rock incident. Addressing the joke that prompted Smith to take the stage, Gervais described Rock’s joke as “tame,” saying, “You don’t hit someone for a joke, no matter how bad it is – and it wasn’t bad!” Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 10:00 p.m. 1649450570

Comedian Ricky Gervais reacted to the news of the ban with a joke. Sharing an article announcing that Smith had been excluded from the ceremony for a decade, he joked: “Hopefully he will only do 6 years with good manners.” Louis Chilton8 April 2022 21:42 1649449970

While Smith’s victory for Best Actor will forever be overshadowed by Chris Rock’s drama, many viewers may be curious about the film that gave Smith his victory, King Richard. The film is available to stream on Virgin TV Go in the UK and HBO Max in the US. In it, Smith plays Richard Williams, the father of aspiring tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, both of whom were at the Oscars yesterday. Read Clarisse Loughrey’s four-star review of the film below … Louis Chilton8 April 2022 21:32 1649449166

And here is more about Smith’s eligibility for the Oscars for the next ten years. The actor’s ban covers virtual appearances as well as personal appearances, which means he could not give a video acceptance speech if he were a winner. Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 9:19 PM 1649448378

More on Smith’s response to the decision below. The brief statement echoes what Smith had previously said, that he was willing to “accept” the Academy’s punishment without question. “Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive,” he said in the aftermath of Oscar night. “My behavior at the Oscars was unacceptable and unjustified. Jokes against me are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me and I reacted emotionally. “There is no room for violence in a world of love and kindness.” Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 9:06 PM 1649448026

Every cloud, I guess … Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 9:00 p.m. 1649447630

When Smith announced that he was resigning from the Academy, many people wondered what exactly it meant to leave the organization. Only three people, including Smith, have ever resigned. The other two – sound engineer Tom Fleischman and production mixer Peter Kurland – took place in March 2022 after it was announced that the technical awards would be announced before the official opening of the ceremony. There have, however, been several stars who have been expelled from the Academy in the past, such as Carmine Caridi, Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski. See below in detail all the stars that have been removed from the Academy and why … Louis Chilton8 April 2022 20:53 1649446800

An interesting fact to keep in mind: according to the Washington Post, Smith is still eligible for awards during his ten-year ban. So, theoretically we could be in a position where Smith is nominated again – or even a second Oscar – but he is barred from attending the ceremony. However, it would be fair to say that there are many in the electorate of the Academy who are unlikely to vote for him soon … Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 8:40 p.m. 1649446252

Piers Morgan is one of the many commentators challenging the Academy’s decision. “Will Smith was expelled from the Hollywood Academy, 12 days after he slapped Chris Rock,” the former Good Morning Britain presenter wrote on Twitter. “It took him 40 years at the same academy to oust Roman Polanski after he was convicted of raping a child.” Louis Chilton April 8, 2022 8:30 p.m. 1649445791

Will Smith answers

Smith now reacted to the decision by issuing a brief statement on the verdict. “I accept and respect the decision of the Academy,” he said. Louis Chilton8 April 2022 20:23