“I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable,” wrote Smith in a statement provided by his publicist. Smith, who publicly apologized to Rock via Instagram the day after the Oscars, went on to express his remorse. “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. “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. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate” David Rubin, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded that he accepted the actor’s resignation. He also added, “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.” Last Wednesday during one of his comedy shows at the Wilbur Theater in Boston, Rock spoke publicly at for the first time since the Oscars. He wasn’t ready to fully address what happened, preferring to focus on his set. “I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened,” he said before the packed crowd. “So, at some point I’ll talk about that s#*t. And it will be serious and funny.” What are the ramifications of Smith’s resignation? Here’s what we know so far.
What is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
Founded in 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considered one of the world’s most prestigious organizations connected to filmmaking. The Academy has close to 10,000 members working in cinema. The organization celebrates excellence in the industry in 17 different branches from acting to directing to writing to visual effects to costume design and more. Each year they celebrate this excellence by handing out Academy Awards, nicknamed Oscars.
How many people are members of the Academy in 2022?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences contains 9,921 members in the filmmaking industry. They are divided into 17 branches from film editing to writing to acting to casting.
What are the benefits of membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences receive many benefits. They are given special access to nominated films through in-person screenings, DVDs or links. They have the opportunity to vote for people who are in their specific branch. So, for example, those in the directors branch of the Academy can only vote for nominated directors. However, every member of the Academy gets to vote for the Best Picture Oscar.
What does resigning from the Academy mean?
When someone resigns from the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that means no longer have any voting rights. They also no longer get access to Academy screenings of films to watch before voting. Also, it’s customary that the prior year’s winner, especially in the acting categories presents the award to following year’s Oscar winner. It seems unlikely Smith will be asked to present next year’s Best Actor award. However, since it is not required that Smith be an Academy member in order to be nominated, he could still be nominated for a future Oscar for another film.
Can Will Smith still to vote for Oscars?
No. By resigning Will Smith loses his right to vote for the Oscars.
Can Will Smith still attend the Oscars?
No. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, April 8 banned Smith from future Oscar ceremonies for 10 years. Read the board’s full statement below. “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. During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. 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. Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. 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. We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast. This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
Could Will Smith be invited/sponsored to rejoin the Academy later?
Possibly. But we don’t know either way. In 2017, in the midst of the #MeToo movement the Academy revised their standard of conduct. They pledged to make a “respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity” a real priority for the academy. According to the Academy the Board of Governors could take disciplinary action to anyone not holding these standards. “If any member is found by the Board of Governors to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions, the Board of Governors may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s bylaws, including suspension or expulsion,” says the Academy’s statement. So ultimately it’s up to the 54 members of the Academy’s Board of Governors.
Will Will Smith lose his Oscar?
There was never really much of a chance that Smith could be forced to give back his Academy Award. In the entire history of the awards, the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences has only taken back an Oscar once. Back in 1967, the Academy rescinded the award for the documentary, Young Americans. It turned out that the film was released too soon and was ineligible for the Academy Awards. When Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski were charged with sexual abuse and lost their Academy membership both men were permitted to keep their Oscars. Next, 50 Will Smith Quotes, Including His Now-Infamous Oscars Jab at Chris Rock
