Following the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith was given a 10-year suspension from the Academy Awards. Will Smith made waves in another way during the Oscars ceremony on March 27, 2022, before earning his first Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard.
After the presenter made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, he rushed up on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face.
After slapping Chris Rock, Will Smith yelled at him to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
It was a breathtaking moment for spectators and those in attendance at the Oscars event, which had become one of the most talked-about topics in the world during the previous two weeks.
One of the most pressing questions following Will Smith’s smack was what the actor’s future with the Academy Awards would be. Rock declined to bring charges against Smith, leaving it up to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to decide on his punishment. According to reports, Smith might lose his Oscar trophy or be barred from attending Oscar-related events for a period of time. Following the incident, as part of his apology tour, the actor resigned from the Academy after it was announced that the institution was conducting its own inquiry into the incidents.
Will Smith has been barred from attending the Academy Awards for the next ten years, according to Deadline. The punishment for slapping Chris Rock comes from the AMPAS Board of Governors, who have barred Smith from attending any and all Academy Awards celebrations, whether in person or digitally. The Board was scheduled to meet on April 18th to debate a punishment, but it was bumped up to today in order to act more promptly. On April 8, 2032, Will Smith’s exile from the Oscars will come to an end.
Will Smith is now the fifth person in history to be barred from attending the Academy Awards. Previously, producers Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel were all barred. In each of those cases, the bans were indefinite and were imposed as a result of sexual assault. Carmine Caridi, an actor, was also kicked out for stealing screeners. Will Smith’s slap has landed him in the company of some genuinely unpleasant people as a result of his punishment.
Will Smith’s exclusion from the Academy for the next ten years does not prevent him from being nominated for or winning more awards. Following the Chris Rock slap, Hollywood moved fast to put numerous projects starring Will Smith on hold, although others had already wrapped filming.
For example, after winning Best Picture on CODA, his slave drama Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set to release in 2022 and might be a potential award contender for Apple TV+. Will Smith could still be nominated and win an Oscar for his performance, but he won’t be allowed to attend the ceremony and accept the trophy.