The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has banned actor Will Smith for his attack on standup Chris Rock during the recent Oscars ceremony in LA. After voting on the matter, the Board of Governors of the Academy described the ban as a move toward the larger objective of keeping Oscars guests and performances safe.
The Academy stated that the board discussed how to react to the action of Smith at the 2022 Oscars in the best way, besides accepting the actor’s resignation. Then, the board has decided to prevent Smith from being able to take part in any programs or events of the Academy for the next ten years. It means that the ban only covers the annual Academy Awards ceremony and does not apply to it alone.
On April 01, 2022, Smith gave up his Academy membership, which paved the way for an earlier vote about his future with the organization. The Academy set April 18, 2022, as the date for the vote, but the resignation of Smith changed it.
During the ceremony, the comedian was discussing the nominees in the best documentary category and making what seemed like innocuous jokes. However, things went south as he made a joke about the baldness-inducing health condition of actor Jada Pinkett Smith, which provoked her husband enough to approach him and slap him. Many people wondered whether it was only a scripted performance in the show, but it happened for real as Smith also made swear words at the comedian.
The Academy stated that it wants to express its gratitude to Rock for keeping his composure in an extraordinary situation. At the same time, the Academy thanked its hosts, presenters, winners, and nominees for their grace and poise during the Oscars telecast. In its letter, the Academy also apologized for failing to adequately deal with the incident involving Smith and Rock.
As per the letter, the Academy did not tackle the situation adequately during the telecast. The Academy added that it was a missed opportunity for it to behave in a manner showing its guests, its Oscars family, and audiences how to behave. The Academy stated that it failed to meet that standard as it was not prepared for the incident in question.