Oscars ban Will Smith for ten years after infamous Chris Rock slap

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been curious to learn what the eventual fallout would be for Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. While it’s easy to state that some of the regurgitation of content on it has been tiresome the past several days, you can’t denying the immediate impact of the actual incident. It is one of the most shocking live-TV moments in the history of awards shows, and it’s also an example of complete chaos on the part of the show’s producers and the Academy. There have been so many conflicting reports about what was done and said during the ceremony to Smith and other than the actor resigning from the Academy, there wasn’t that much in the way of actual punishment.

Today, that officially changed. Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Smith has been banned from all of their events, including the Oscars, for the next ten years. Read the following statement:

“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. 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.

“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 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.”

Is this the appropriate punishment? That’s up for debate. The idea of taking away his award for King Richard was never viewed as a serious possibility, especially when you consider the indiscretions of some people who have Oscars in the past. The biggest thing that the Academy wants to do here is avoid precedent — it’s not so much about protecting Rock, as he was fine after the fact and opted not to press charges. This is about controlling their ceremony for years down the road and working to ensure there is no crisis in the future.

Do you think banning Will Smith from the Oscars for ten years is the right choice?

Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do that, keep coming back to get some other updates. (Photo: Oscars.)