Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Directors has announced that Will Smith will be banned from all academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.

The decision was made after the board of directors planned to review the incident in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage, Variety reported.

"The 94th Academy Awards was meant to be a celebration of the many people in our community who have done incredible work over the past year. However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and hurtful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage," the statement said.

The Board of Directors has decided that, for a period of 10 years beginning on April 8, 2022, Will Smith may not attend any Academy Awards event or program, whether in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Oscars ceremony.

The Academy also thanked Chris Rock for his "calmness in extraordinary circumstances" and hoped "this can usher in a moment of healing and recovery for all those involved and affected".

Will Smith subsequently released a short statement saying he accepted and respected the Academy's decision.

The Academy did not announce it was revoking Will Smith's Best Actor award, despite calls from many to do so. It is unlikely that the Academy's board of directors would have such power. Convicted criminals such as Weinstein and Roman Polanski still have their Oscars even if they are expelled from the Academy.