The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) has banned Will Smith for 10 years following a meeting on Friday that levied sanctions against the bad boy actor after he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars on 27 March.
Prior to the meeting Smith has already apologized and resigned from the Academy on April 1 in what some are calling his chess move, which reportedly made president, David Rubin, bring forward a board meeting scheduled for 18 April.
In his letter the King Richard Best Actor Oscar winner stated: “My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
His resignation dissolved any action of expulsion that could be considered.
“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,” said AMPAS president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson of Smith’s “unacceptable and harmful behavior” in a letter to the full membership of the Academy.
Sources said that that Rubin and the Ampas CEO, Dawn Hudson, held a secret meeting with Smith two days after the Oscars ceremony to discuss among other things his fate in the Academy..
Other AMPAS Board members include, include Steven Spielberg, Ava DuVernay, Laura Dern and Whoopi Goldberg.
In light of today’s ban on Smith from the ceremony, he is still able to be nominated in future years.
The Fresh Prince had been a member of the Academy since 2001, joining just five years after his big screen blockbuster debut in Independence Day.
Immediately following the incident Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry consoled Smith. He then stayed in his front row seat before going back up on stage to accept his long favored Best Actor award.
Later in the evening Smith and family showed up at the Vanity Fair party dancing and singing to to Jiggy With it.
Perhaps more important that the Hollywood movie club ban is the pause on big projects associated with Smith that have been put on pause or have been delayed. Netflix paused work on the action thriller Fast and Loose, and Sony reportedly halting development of Bad Boys 4. Although Smith’s future career earnings is now in a dim light, he is expected to bounce back because he has a huge fan base.
Read AMPAS President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson’s full letter to Academy members below:
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.
