The new recipient of the king Richard’s Best actor awards, Will Smith, has been banned from attending the Academy Awards for the next decade after slapping Chris Rock on stage during the Oscar ceremony.

Recall that, Smith confronted Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke about the close-cropped hair of Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife. Pinkett Smith has alopecia, a skin condition that can result in hair loss. After striking Rock, Smith returned to his seat and screamed profanities at his fellow star.

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Friday…

“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,”

the group wrote in a letter to members that reads;

“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 in response to the ban said, “I accept and respect the academy’s decision,”

The academy’s board was initially set to convene on April 18 to discuss possible disciplinary actions, including a potential suspension or ban from the organization. However, last week Smith resigned from the group calling his own actions “shocking, painful, and inexcusable.”

Smith apologized to the academy and his fellow nominees during his acceptance speech for the best actor award, which he won for his portrayal of Richard Williams in “King Richard.” Meanwhile, Smith apologized to Rock via social media the day after the ceremony.

Smith is also not permitted to attend any other events held by Hollywood’s top film group over the next decade, but the board did not decide to revoke the best actor Oscar he won last month for “King Richard.“ 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,” said president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson as stated in the above letter.

Rock, meanwhile, has refrained from making public comments about the slap. He told a crowd at a comedy show last week in Boston that he was “still processing what happened.”