Can Will Smith go to the 2024 Oscar ceremony, is he invited or banned?
Smith hit the headlines for the wrong reasons at 2022 ceremony, slapping Chris Rock to land himself in trouble with the Academy.
It wasn’t quite 9/11 or John Lennon getting shot, but plenty of us remember where we were when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, which will again host this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.
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What happened between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars?
You may well remember the story, but here it goes again just in case.
While announcing the nominees for Best Documentary Feature, comedian Rock made a joke about Smith’s ex-wife Jada Pinkett Smith appearing in a G.I. Jane sequel, a reference to both the actress and Demi Moore’s character in the movie sporting shaved heads.
Back in 2018, Pinkett Smith had revealed she had been experiencing hair loss and was later diagnosed with alopecia, which led to her choosing to shave her head.
Seated near the front of the audience, Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes at the “joke,” but her ex-husband, who was previously shown laughing, suddenly walked on stage, approached Rock and slapped him across the face before returning to his seat, from where he was heard shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Smith slaps Rock: staged or serious?
Although some thought it had been prearranged, the reaction of both men suggested otherwise, with Rock appearing startled and Smith remaining deadly serious.
Around 40 minutes later, the latter picked up the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard and apologised to everybody for his actions during his speech, bar Rock. He did, however, issue a further apology on social media the following day, addressing the comedian directly.
How long was Will Smith banned by the Academy?
Reports suggested some Academy bosses had wanted Smith to leave the ceremony there and then, while others were happy for him to remain, which led to no action being taken on the spot.
The 55-year-old did, however, later resign from the Academy and was banned from attending its events for 10 years, up to 2032.
As a result, Smith failed to follow the Oscar tradition of presenting the Best Actor award last year and won’t be attending the 2024 event (or any of the next eight, unless something changes).