Will Smith-Chris Rock slate gate saga at the Oscars 2022 has finally reached its conclusion with the Academy Award 2022 winning-actor getting banned from attending the event for 10 years. The motion picture academy on Friday banned Hollywood actor Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years following his slap at Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
Will Smith's ban decision came after a meeting of the academy's Board of Governors to discuss a response to Smith's actions. The academy in a statement called Will Smith's actions 'unacceptable and harmful.'. It is pertinent to mention here that, Will Smith had already resigned from the academy last week during the run-up to the meeting and said he would accept any punishment the academy handed down.
The ban of Will Smith from the Academy Award event was graciously accepted by the King Richard actor. "I accept and respect the Academy’s decision," Smith said in a statement.
Furthermore, the academy also apologized for its handling of the situation and allowing Will Smith to stay and accept his best actor award. "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," added the Academy.
Why Will Smith is banned from Oscars and Academy events?
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Those who are still looking for a detailed answer on why Will Smith is banned from the Oscars and Academy evets can read further: The 94th Academy Award became the talk of the entire world after Hollywood actor Will Smith angrily slapped comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's medical condition. Not only this but the Oscar 2022 Best actor winner Will Smith also angrily shouted and abused Chirs Rock and warned him to keep his wife Jada Smith's name out of his jokes.
Chris Rock, who was one of the presenters in the show, had told Will's wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, that she could feature in GI Jane 2. It is a putative sequel to a film about a female soldier who has a shaved head.
After the slap-gate became a huge controversy, Will Smith publically apologised to Chris Rock on social media. In a long note, Will had written, 'Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
Notably, Will Smith won the Oscars 2022 for best actor in the movie King Richard. King Richard is a biopic based on two Tennis prodigies Serena and Venus Williams. Will Smith has played the character of Williams sisters' father.