Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years, the academy awarding ceremony he announced, less than two weeks after the American actor slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage. Following a meeting of its board, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Friday that Smith would also not be allowed to attend other events hosted by the academy during this period. “The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many people in our community who did an incredible job last year. However, these moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior that we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage, “the academy said in a statement. Smith took to the stage at the 94th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 27 and slapped Rock after the comedian compared the shaven-headed actress Jada Pinkett Smith to the GI Jane movie character. Pinkett Smith spoke publicly about her battles with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that leads to hair loss, and her decision to shave her head. A day later, Smith apologized to Rock. He also resigned from the academy last week, saying on April 1 that his actions were “shocking, painful and unforgivable.” At the time, Smith said he would “accept any further consequences” that the academy council deemed appropriate. Academy officials met Friday morning to discuss actions against Smith, with board members Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg among those invited to decide on the actor’s fate. “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said in a statement Friday following the announcement of the ban. This move means that Smith will not present one of the major Oscars next year, as it is a tradition for the winner of Best Actor. He received this award for his performance in the tennis biography of King Richard, less than an hour after the stunning Rock on the same stage. The academy in a statement on Friday also expressed “deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for keeping his composure under exceptional circumstances” and apologized for handling the situation. Will Smith, right, hit presenter Chris Rock on stage on March 27th [Chris Pizzello/AP Photo] “During our TV show, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. “For that, we are sorry,” he said. “This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, the spectators and the family of our Academy around the world, and we failed – unprepared for the unprecedented.” Actors do not have to be members of the Academy to be nominated, although each year Oscar nominees – and winners – are voted on by team members. Some had asked for Smith to be removed from his Oscars, but this was considered unlikely, as people like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski did not have their awards revoked when they were expelled from the Academy on sexual assault charges.
