King Richard star Will Smith had already resigned his membership from the Academy and said before the disciplinary hearing that he would accept any consequences. Following his outburst, he released a public apology and admitted his actions were “shocking” and “inexcusable”.
Will Smith will not be allowed to attend any Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years after slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the ceremony.
The board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, announced the decision after meeting to discuss possible sanctions following the star’s outburst at the event.
Smith, 53, had already resigned his membership from the Academy, giving up his voting rights, and said before the disciplinary hearing that he would accept any consequences.
The board had been set to meet on 18 April but brought the hearing forward to deal with the incident “in a timely fashion” following the actor’s resignation.
During the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 27 March, Smith walked on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of the actor’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, as he was about to present an award.
Smith returned to his seat and shouted twice: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth.”
Rock’s joke had made a reference to the 1997 film GI Jane, in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It is still unclear whether the comedian was aware that Pinkett Smith has alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, when he made the remark.
