Following his slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, the motion picture academy prohibited Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for ten years.
Following a meeting of the academy’s Board of Governors to deliberate a reaction to Smith’s activities, the decision was made.
“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 academy said in a statement.
During the week leading up to the meeting, Smith preemptively resigned from the academy, saying he would accept any punishment the institution imposed.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Smith said in a statement.
The academy also apologized for its handling of the situation and allowing Smith to stay and accept his best actor award for “King Richard.”
“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry,” the academy said. “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. “
As a result of the ban, Smith will not be presenting one of the main awards at the Academy Awards next year, as is traditional for the best actor winner.