Less than two weeks after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences has come up with a punishment for the disgraced actor.
Smith will have to spend the next ten years watching the Oscars from home like almost every other actor in the biz. He also will not be allowed to attend any Academy event during that time.
AMPAS gave this statement to Variety:
“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.”
So, now that Smith cannot attend the Oscars, is he still eligible to be nominated and possibly win another one. Yes, he is, and yes, he can.
Personally, I think he needs to hold a press conference, give a heartfelt apology (not like his BS acceptance speech with crocodile tears), and hand back his Oscar. Then he can get a fake one on Hollywood Blvd and no one will be the wiser that it is not the real thing.
