Like Chris Rock, whatever he expected the Academy would do after slapping the comedian on the gala night of the last Oscar, Chris Smith never saw this coming: 10 fingers—away from the Academy.
The body made the announcement Friday in a letter sent by president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson and obtained by.
“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,” the letter said.
“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 letter continued.
“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.”
The Academy then apologized to Rock, still shock.
“Academy 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.”
Rubin and Hudson said the Academy’s decision to ban Smith “is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy.”
Smith resigned from the Academy, apologizing to Rock and the Academy, which accepted the resignation.
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