The verdict is in — famed actor Will Smith has been given a 10-year ban from The Academy Awards following his Oscars slap.
News broke that Smith will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony for the next decade after he physically assaulted Chris Rock on stage during a live telecast of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.
A statement by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences reads, “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.”
According to reports, the Board of Governors met today to decide on a course of action. Their decision came over a week early as the meeting was initially scheduled to take place on April 18.
Smith had already resigned from The Academy on April 3, presumably to take responsibility for his actions before punishment was decided.
In their announcement, The Academy stated, “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.”
They continued with, “During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room,” the letter went on to state. “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.”
On the night of the incident, Rock declined to press charges. During that evening following the assault, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor in King Richard.