Will Smith will not be attending the Academy Awards this year, a year after slapping Chris Rock on the stage.
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| Will Smith 2023 Academy Awards |
The actor has been barred from attending any academy function for ten years after walking onto the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and performing Rock live on television. Rock was slapped after making a joke about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Smith won best actor later in the evening for his depiction of Venus and Serena Williams' father in "King Richard." Normally, the best actor winner presents one of the main prizes during the next year's event, but Smith will not be doing so in 2023.
"The 94th Academy Awards 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 announcing Smith's ban, which will take effect in April 2022.
Will Smith, right, slaps Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. (AFP/Robyn Beck via Getty Images) )
"In response, I accept and respect the Academy's decision," Smith stated. He resigned from the academy ahead of the announcement by the academy's Board of Governors.
Smith's power to vote on candidates and winners was lost when he resigned.
Smith was eligible to keep the prize he received in 2022. Although if he is barred from attending academy events for ten years, he is still eligible to be nominated for, and even win, prizes during the following decade. If he were to win, he would be unable to receive the honor in person.
The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 12th. The show starts at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.