Will Smith will not be invited to the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a consequence of his slapping comedian Chris Rock live on stage during this year’s Oscar event, per the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced in a statement from CNN.

“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 Academy Awards,” said Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson on Friday.

The decision was finalized during a Board of Governors meeting held during an early day in Los Angeles. The meeting was initially scheduled for April 18, after Will Smith announced his resignation from the Academy last week. 

“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith informed CNN in a statement.

The decision was said to have caused “tons of debate” regarding what consequences of the misconduct Smith portrayed during the Oscars, a board member informed CNN.

The Academy letter stated: “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,” the letter further expressed. “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.”

The Board of Governors also informed in a previous statement that they intended for the matter to be “handled in a timely fashion.”

Smith’s resignation means he is no longer part of the Academy’s voting body, but it does not prevent the award-winning actor from being nominated in the future, a source from CNN stated.

Photo By: Rappler.com