Will Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards for the next decade after hitting Chris Rock at the ceremony last month.
The board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided that Smith would not be allowed to attend any events hosted by the organization because of his conduct during the Oscars ceremony.
This action we are taking today is a step towards protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy, according to Hudson and Rubin.
The Academy's board was supposed to meet on April 18 to decide if the actor should be banned or suspended from the organization. Smith resigned from the Academy last week after making a public statement about his actions.
Smith confronted Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith's wife, who has a skin condition that can result in hair loss. Smith screamed profanities at Rock after hitting him.
A producer of the show said that the Los Angeles Police Department was going to arrest Smith at the awards ceremony, but they wouldn't press charges. Smith refused to leave the ceremony after hitting the comedian. There are conflicting reports about whether Smith was asked to leave or if it was just suggested that he leave before the award category was called.
During his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees, and the next day he apologized to Rock on social media.
Rock didn't comment too much on the slap. He told a crowd at a comedy show in Boston that he was still processing what happened.
Rubin and Hudson wrote a letter.
The 94th Oscars were supposed 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.
We didn't adequately address the situation in the room. We are sorry for this. 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.
The Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how to respond to Will Smith's actions at the Oscars, as well as accepting his resignation. Mr. Smith will not be allowed to attend any Academy events or programs in person or virtually for a period of 10 years.
We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Rock. We want to thank our hosts, nominees, and winners for their graciousness during the show.
The action we are taking today is a step towards protecting the safety of our performers and guests and restoring trust in the Academy. We hope that this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved.
This is a breaking news story. You can check back for updates.
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