Will Smith has announced that he won’t be attending this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, due to the lack of racial diversity in this year’s nominees list.
This news comes on the back of growing criticism at the inclusion of all-white nominees in the acting categories. Will is joining his wife Jada and director Spike Lee in sitting the ceremony out this year.
It was announced earlier that the Academy would be taking measures to solve the race problem for future ceremonies.
Speaking on Good Morning America, Smith said: “I think that I have to protect and fight for the ideals that make our country and make our Hollywood community great.’
‘This is about children that are gonna sit down and are gonna watch this show and they’re not going to see themselves represented.”
WATCH: Will Smith opens up for the first time in @ABC News Exclusive about diversity in Hollywood and at the #Oscarshttps://t.co/8uryo7A03l
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 21, 2016
