At the 2022 Oscars ceremony, a slap was heard around the world.
Will Smith walked onto the stage and struck Chris Rock, after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
Smith then yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth,” while Rock, looking flustered, told the shocked audience: “Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me.”
Smith – who won the Best Actor Oscar just minutes later for his performance in King Richard – is now facing the prospect of disciplinary action from the Academy.
On Wednesday night (30 March), the Academy’s board of governors – which includes Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Spielberg and Laura Dern – held an emergency meeting to discuss the incident.
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Many have been left wondering what punitive action, if any, the Academy will take against the actor, a longtime voting member. No actor has ever been stripped of their Oscar before, but several stars have had their Academy membership revoked.
In his tearful acceptance speech, Smith had apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees, saying: “I hope the Academy invites me back.”
It remains to be seen whether Smith will be allowed back. In the meantime, here are the five people who have been expelled from the Academy (aka had their membership revoked) in its 94-year history…
Read more: Independent
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