The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has banned Will Smith from all events, including the Oscars, for a decade after the award-winning actor got onstage during the 94th Academy Awards last month and slapped presenter Chris Rock.
In a statement announcing their decision, the Board of Governors also apologized for their handling of the situation.
"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 statement read. "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."
Smith, who slapped Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, already resigned from the group behind the Academy Awards — a move that prevented the motion picture academy from suspending or expelling him.
As part of its decision, the board accepted Smith's resignation and said it will not permit Smith to attend any Academy events in person or virtually for a period of 10 years beginning April 8.
“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision," Smith said in a statement following the news.
Had he been expelled, Smith would have joined a small group of men removed from the academy: Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and the actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing awards screeners.
The Academy's decision came days after the incident unfolded on a live television broadcast of the event in late March.
There, Smith strode from his front-row Dolby Theatre seat on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife.
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Smith stunned Rock, the theater crowd and viewers at home when he took the stage after Rock joked: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.”
Pinkett Smith, who has spoken publicly about her hair loss condition, alopecia, had a closely shaved head similar to that of Demi Moore in the original movie.
After Smith's attack, he returned to his seat and angrily twice shouted at Rock to “get my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.”
Moments later, he went on to win the best actor award for his role in “King Richard.” When Smith took the stage again to accept his Oscar, he tearfully apologized to the academy but notably omitted any mention of Rock.
Rock, who was about to present Oscar for best documentary, declined to file charges when asked by police. He has only briefly addressed the attack publicly, saying at one comedy concert in Boston that he was still "kind of processing what happened.”
The academy's standards of conduct expressly forbid members from participating in “intimidation, stalking, abusive or threatening behavior, or bullying," TODAY reported.
