Will Smith banned from Oscars

USPA NEWS - Will Smith was banned from attending the Oscars and any other Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences event for the next decade, the academy announced Friday following a meeting to address Smith's slap of Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards last month.

Smith slapped Rock after the presenter made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, referring to the 1997 film "G.I. Jane," starring Demi Moore. Pinkett Smith, 50, has struggled with alopecia. In addition to the board's decision, Smith previously resigned from the academy.

Here's a look at other Hollywood figures who have been banned from either attending the ceremony, similar to Smith or from the academy altogether:

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel was banned by the academy last year and removed as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Kimmel, who is behind films like 2005's "Capote" and 1996's "Beautiful Girls," was arrested in 2003 and pleaded guilty to rape in the third degree, Variety reported. As part of his sentencing, he had to register as a sex offender. In a statement to the outlet at the time, Kimmel stated it was "consensual sex with someone under the legal age of consent." He was 43. The girl was under 17. In 2010, Kimmel was arrested again on charges of fourth-degree sexual assault, two counts of risk of injury and failing to register as a sex offender in Connecticut, according to the publication. Kimmel disputed the allegations but was convicted on the last charge.

Roman Polanski was arrested in March 1977 for a number of offenses and remains a fugitive after he fled to France while awaiting sentencing in February 1978. In May 2018, the academy removed Roman Polanski as a member. Polanski, who won a best director Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2003, remains a fugitive after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1977 and fleeing the United States the following year. He has been living in Europe since. He had been an academy member for nearly 50 years at the time of his expulsion, and his films had been nominated for 28 Oscars.

Bill Cosby was given the boot at the same time as Polanski. In a statement at the time, the academy said that both men violated the organization's standards of conduct. "The board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the academy's values of respect for human dignity," the statement said. The news came not long after a jury in Philadelphia reached a verdict in Cosby's retrial case for sexual assault. Cosby was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand during a 2004 incident. The sex assault conviction was overturned by Pennsylvania’s highest court in 2021. The court said it had found an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented Cosby from being charged in the case.

Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in 2017. In a statement at the time, the board said, "well in excess of the required two-thirds majority" of its 54 members voted to dismiss Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax and The Weinstein Company. The expulsion was effective immediately. The decision came amid a slew of sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations. Weinstein has since been sentenced to 23 years in prison for third-degree rape and a criminal sex act. Weinstein has maintained he simply had consensual "extramarital affairs" with the victims. Weinstein still faces similar charges in California where he is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty.

In 2004, actor Carmine Caridi became the first person to have his academy membership revoked. The "Godfather" actor had loaned out award screener videos. "I sent them to people, besides my brother and sister, who couldn’t afford them," Caridi said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I made a lot of people happy." The star died in 2019 at the age of 85.

The late Gil Cates, who produced the 1993 Oscars, vowed to ban Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gere had gone off script that year to protest China’s occupation of Tibet as well as the "horrendous, horrendous human rights situation," while the latter two spoke out in support of Haitian refugees. All three were presenters. Sarandon and Robbins' ban has since been lifted. Gere returned to the Oscars stage in 2013.

Thank you for reading my article. These are merely my thoughts and insights based on the facts. I use only verified sources. No fake news here. I write about a variety of subjects, mainly things I want to research and know more about. You can check out my website – Small Village Life at smallvillagelife.com, where I share useful articles and news.

Wendy writes for the United States Press Agency and is a former columnist with the Fulton County Expositor, Wauseon, Ohio.

Sources: Associated Press and Reuters