The actor was accepting of the decade-long ban from attending Academy events in light of the slapping incident at the Oscars.
Will Smith issued a short and simple statement following the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ decision to ban him from all Academy-related events (including the Oscars) for the next 10 years, because he ran onstage and slapped Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards. “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” he said in a very short statement on Friday April 8 to Page Six.
Will’s response came shortly after the Academy announced the plan to bar him from all Academy events for the next decade. “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,” AMPAS President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.