Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years over Chris Rock slap

Will Smith will not be allowed to attend any Academy events for 10 years after slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the ceremony.

The board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, announced the decision after meeting to discuss possible sanctions following the star’s outburst at the event.

Smith, 53, had already resigned his membership from the Academy, giving up his voting rights, and said before the disciplinary hearing that he would accept any consequences.

The board had been set to meet on 18 April but brought the hearing forward to deal with the incident “in a timely fashion” following the actor’s resignation.

During the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 27 March, Smith walked on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of the actor’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, as he was about to present an award.

Smith returned to his seat and shouted twice: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth.”

Rock’s joke had made a reference to the 1997 film GI Jane, in which actress Demi Moore shaved her head. It is still unclear whether the comedian was aware that Pinkett Smith has alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, when he made the remark.

Following the outburst, Rock recovered the situation and after a stunned silence the ceremony continued – with Smith going on to win the actor for best Oscar, for his performance playing the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard.

Smith, the star of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air and Hollywood blockbusters such as I Am Legend, Independence Day and the Men In Black and Bad Boys films, apologised to the Academy and fellow nominees on stage and later attended the Vanity Fair after party with Pinkett Smith and his children, where he posed for photos with his statuette.

But as criticism grew the following day, he released a statement giving a public apology to Rock, saying he reacted “emotionally” to the joke but that “violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive”.

He resigned from the Academy a week after the incident, saying: “My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.”

He added: “The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.

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“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.

“I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”