Will has been banned for 10 years.
Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for slapping Chris Rock.
Though Smith resigned from the Academy days after the incident, which occurred at the most recent Oscar ceremony, its board met on Friday to discuss how to respond to the actor’s actions.
It decided that Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs in person or virtually for 10 years.
This includes but is not limited to the Oscars.
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year,” the letter reads.
“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.
“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.”
Of course, while this specific incident is unprecedented, Smith is not the first person to get a ban from the Academy, so who else has been banned and how does Will’s slap compare?
Carmine Caridi
Carmine Caridi was the first person to be banned from the Oscars back in 2004 for disseminating copies of screeners annually mailed to Academy members, according to the Telegraph.
After being tied to various bootlegs, he caught the attention of the FBI and was later granted immunity in exchange for the name of his contact of the pirate copies.
Harvey Weinstein
Unsurprisingly making the list, producer Harvey Weinstein was banned from the Oscars in 2017 when the Me Too movement took off. Over 80 women accused him of sexual assault, with the Academy saying it wanted to “separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues” and “send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behaviour and workplace harassment in our industry is over.”
Weinstein is now serving a 23 year prison sentence.
Bill Cosby
Another similar to Weinstein, Bill Cosby was banned in 2018 after he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting former basketballer Andrea Constand.
Cosby was sentenced to 10 years but has since been released but his ban from the Oscars remains permanent.
Roman Polanski
Director Roman Polanski was banned in 2018 after it was reported that he had allegedly had unlawful intercourse with a minor back in 1977 when he was 43.
The board voted to expel “director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organisation’s Standards of Conduct.
“The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Adam Kimmel
Cinematographer Adam Kimmel was arrested in 2003 and again in 2010 for sexual crimes against underage girls, with Kimmel pleading guilty to third-degree rape during his first arrest.
Despite his well-known record, Kimmel wasn’t banned from the Academy until 2021.
