Will Smith Banned From Oscars For 10 Years After Slapping Chris Rock On Stage

Will Smith will not be allowed to attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a result of his slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars late last month.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors met virtually Friday to discuss the sanctions that should be imposed on Smith for his assault on Rock over the comedian's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.

In a letter obtained by CBS News Friday, Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson condemned Smith's "unacceptable and harmful behavior."

"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 letter stated.

Following their virtual meeting, the Board of Governors ultimately determined that "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," according to the letter.

Rubin and Hudson went on to thank Rock for "maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances" and acknowledge the Academy's failure to "adequately address the situation" during last month's telecast.

"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," they wrote.

The letter also stated that the decision to ban the "King Richard" star is "a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy."

Smith, who won the Oscar for best actor in the most recent ceremony, responded to the announcement in a statement via his rep, saying: "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

Smith issued his resignation from the Academy last week, acknowledging that his actions were "shocking, painful and inexcusable." At the time, he said that he would accept any additional consequences that the Academy's Board of Governors deems appropriate.

The Board's meeting was originally set for April 18 but was pushed up to April 8 after Smith formally resigned from the Academy.

With expulsion off the table, the Academy's president made moves to expedite the process for any possible sanctions, writing in a memo, "It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion," People reported.

Rock has not released any official statement about the slap or the sanction imposed on Smith over it but previously said during one of his comedy shows earlier this month that he was "still processing" the incident.

The Oscars slap controversy has been a "nightmare" for Smith's family, an unnamed source told Us Weekly. According to the outlet's insiders, Pinkett Smith reportedly wishes that her husband did not hit Rock, but she still stands by the "Men In Black" star, and so does their whole family.