Will Smith speaks out after the decision of the Hollywood Academy: “I accept and respect it”

Will Smith He assured that he “accepts” and “respects” the veto approved by the Hollywood Academy this Friday, which will prevent his attendance at all the events it organizes, including the Oscars, for the next 10 years.

“I accept and respect the decision of the Academy”he said in a brief statement sent by his representative to the US media.

The veto, which will last more than a decade, was approved by the Board of Governors of the Academy as a sanctioning measure for the slap in the face of humorist Chris Rock during the last Oscar ceremony, on March 27.

“Mr. Smith will not be permitted to attend, physically or virtually, any of the events or programs of the Hollywood Academy, including, but not limited to, the Oscars.”announced in a letter collected by Efe the president of the Academy, David Rubin, and its CEO, Dawn Hudson.

The terse statement does not specify whether the actor is still eligible for award nominations.

Permanent expulsion from the organization, another sanction on the table, was automatically ruled out when Smith himself resigned his Academy membership last week.

In this way, Smith avoided being forcibly expelled, as happened in the cases of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Adam Kimmel and Roman Polanski, all of them accused of serious sexual crimes.

Just a week ago, the actor announced that he was leaving the Academy after describing his performance at the 94th edition of the Oscars as “shocking, painful and inexcusable.”

Smith took that position two days after a disciplinary file was opened.

The Academy, which brings together almost 10,000 members of the audiovisual industry, then urged him to issue a written statement about his controversial slap to Chris Rock at the Oscars, after he joked about Smith’s wife’s alopecia, Jada Pinkett-Smith.

More than a week later, reactions to the event continue to make headlines, including in British tabloids such as The Sun, which claims that Smith has checked into a rehab clinic to manage his stress.

Likewise, Netflix and Sony have suspended the production of the two films, “Fast and Loose” and “Bad Boys 4″, which he was going to star with them.

Regarding the Academy’s response, its directors have admitted that “they fell short” by letting the actor continue at the gala and accept an award.

“We were not prepared for something unprecedented,” they said.