Ricky Gervais and 50 Cent have led reaction to Will Smith’s 10-year ban from the Oscars, with many dubbing the move ‘too harsh’.
The actor has been allowed to keep his best actor Oscar but will not able to after he slapped
Responding to the ban, 50 Cent tweeted: ‘Got Damn they doing Will dirty, This is too harsh so he cant come back till he 63 years old. And the law suit ain’t even hit yet. SMH.’
Ricky, who as Chris did, added: ‘Hopefully, he’ll only do 6 years with good behaviour.’
David Baddiel quipped: ‘I have to say if someone said to me you’re banned from award ceremonies for 10 years, I’d say…thanks,’ with reposting his reaction.
Piers added: ‘Will Smith banned by the Hollywood Academy, 12 days after he slapped Chris Rock. It took the same Academy 40 years to ban Roman Polanski after he was convicted of raping a child.’
Some fans have accused the Academy of double standards.
‘This is some excessive, performative nonsense in trying to make an example of Will Smith while ACTUAL wrongdoers in the industry still have careers. The hypocrisy is clear as daylight,’ one Twitter user wrote.
‘It’s crazy how they’re doing more to punish will smith than they did to any hollywood predator,’ another said.
One more added: ‘Excuse me? Will Smith is banned from attending Oscars ceremony and Academy events for 10 Years? What about men who are actual predators who are still glorified by the Academy? It makes me sick.’
The news of Smith’s ban was announced in an open letter from Academy president David Rubin, who described Smith’s actions as ‘unacceptable and harmful’.
He said: ‘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.’
Smith told Metro.co.uk in a statement: ‘I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.’
The King Richard actor had audiences shocked when he stormed the stage to slap comedian Rock after a joke he made about his wife ’s buzzcut, comparing her to ‘GI Jane’.
Smith slapped Rock, before returning to his seat and swearing at him.
He later apologised for his behaviour and resigned from The Academy.
