Will Smith banned from the Oscars for 10 years, following Chris Rock slap

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or living in the mountains with no cell reception for the last 2 weeks, we all know what happened at the Oscars last month. We’re referring, of course, to when Will Smith got up onstage and slapped Chris Rock over a joke he made about Smith’s wife. After the altercation, Smith went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in King Richard.

Since the incident, there’s been speculation about what consequences Smith would face for his actions. Rock declined to press charges, so anything would have to come from the Academy itself, who has their own rules of conduct in place. Possible scenarios floated were expulsion from the Academy or being banned from all future events. The former became a moot point, as Smith resigned from the Academy last Friday.

But today, the Academy finally announced what was decided at a meeting that took place earlier this morning. Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars and all other Academy events for the next 10 years. He will still be eligible for further awards in the future, and will not be forced to give back his Oscar.

In response, Smith said in a brief statement, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

So with that, it seems like a good place to end one of the strangest chapters in the history of the Academy Awards. No sense on further think pieces. It’s probably best left at that!