Will Smith has said he agrees with the punishment that has been handed down to him by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following The Slap.
The 53-year-old King Richard actor sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood last month when he soundly slapped comedian Chris Rock, 57, square in the face after the star made an ill-judged joke about the hairstyle of Will’s 50-year-old alopecia-suffering wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
And while the A-List seemed to immediately forgive Will for his violent actions by giving him a standing ovations mere minutes later when he was awarded the Best Actor Oscar, the Academy have been less forgiving.
Concluding an investigation on Friday, those in power of the organisation announced that Will is now banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years – meaning he cannot attend the awards until 2032.
And now the former Fresh Prince star has spoken out about the sentence – announcing he agrees with the boards’ decision.
He told PageSix in a very brief statement: “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
Will had earlier resigned from his position as a member of the Academy, announcing earlier this month: "I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.
"So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate.”
Meanwhile the Academy announced in a statement on Friday: "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 behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.
"During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. 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.
"Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation.
"The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8 2022, Mr Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."
They continued: "We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
"This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behaviour is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted."
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