Could Will Smith be stripped of his Oscar? The academy meets to decide

Practically two weeks after he smacked Chris Rock on stage, Will Smith is about to be taught whether or not Academy Awards organizers will punish him with a slap on the wrist — or one thing extra extreme.

The governors of the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences will meet on Friday to debate what disciplinary motion, if any, to take in opposition to Smith for slapping Rock throughout the Oscars ceremony on March 27. 

Moments earlier, Rock, a presenter, made a joke in regards to the shaved head of Smith’s spouse, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, which brought about her to lose her hair.

Minutes later, Smith was again on stage, profitable greatest actor for King Richard. Smith later apologized and resigned as a member of the academy — a bunch of almost 10,000 movie business insiders who vote for Oscar winners.

Weighing its choices

Hollywood-watchers say the academy is strolling a tightrope: how can it take a stand now after failing to behave in opposition to different members’ misconduct for many years?

The academy’s code of conduct lists attainable sanctions starting from a written warning to everlasting ineligibility for future awards.

Clayton Davis, senior awards editor on the commerce publication Selection, says Smith’s resignation from the academy could have restricted its choices, or urge for food, for penalties.

One possibility, he says, is barring Smith from future ceremonies.

“It could possibly be one thing as little as [just barring him] subsequent 12 months, as a result of historically the perfect actor winner presents greatest actress the next 12 months, so he could be prevented from doing that, upwards to a number of ceremonies sooner or later,” mentioned Davis.

Few expulsions

In its 94-year historical past, the academy has solely expelled 5 members — most of them, very just lately.

Actor Carmine Caridi (The Godfather) was booted in 2004 after unlawful copies of Oscar-nominated movies have been discovered on-line and traced back to his screeners — advance copies supplied to academy members with a view to vote for winners. 

Producer Harvey Weinstein was kicked out in 2017 after dozens of girls accused him of sexual assault or harassment.

The next 12 months, actor Invoice Cosby was expelled after his conviction for sexual assault, which has since been overturned.

Director Roman Polanski was additionally expelled in 2018 — greater than 40 years after he pleaded responsible to raping a 13-year-old lady and fled to France, the place he stays a fugitive. But in 2003, the academy awarded Polanski its greatest director statuette for The Pianist.

In 2021, cinematographer Adam Kimmel was also expelled after Selection revealed he had pleaded responsible to raping an underage lady years earlier than becoming a member of the academy.

Since most of these expulsions concerned sexual offences, there are doubts that Smith, who isn’t going through prison prices, would face the identical penalty.

“To be in that class of Harvey Weinstein and Invoice Cosby —that is an enormous, enormous leap [from Smith’s actions],” mentioned Emmanuel Noisette, a movie critic for TheMovieBlog.com.

Some have referred to as for Smith to be stripped of his Oscar. That is not additionally probably, Davis says, as a result of Weinstein and Polanksi nonetheless have theirs. 

Just one Oscar has been rescinded. In 1969, Younger Individuals needed to hand again its greatest documentary award, as a result of it had been launched two years earlier and was due to this fact ineligible.

Each Davis and Noisette say, though Smith is not a member of the academy, he’ll probably nonetheless be eligible to win future Oscars.

“He might nonetheless go on the market and make a terrific film, and be nominated, and win. He simply wouldn’t be a part of the voting physique of the membership,” Noisette mentioned.

Ought to others face punishment?

Because the academy deliberates, there are recent requires it to additionally belatedly punish different members.

Some need actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson stripped of his 1995 Oscar for greatest director, which he received for Braveheart, over his 2006 antisemitic tirade at a Los Angeles police officer. Gibson went on to obtain a greatest director nod for Hacksaw Ridge in 2017.

Adrien Brody additionally confronted no penalties when he grabbed and kissed Halle Berry on stage after she introduced his greatest actor win for Polanski’s The Pianist.

Each Noisette and Davis say race might show an element within the academy’s resolution: how can it make an instance of Smith, a Black man, when white males have dodged punishment?

One mitigating issue for Smith, Noisette suggests, is the provocation of Rock’s joke, which was reportedly not a part of his script.

On the identical time, he provides, the academy’s resolution may also be “a branding subject,” as it really works to overtake its public picture from being lax on misconduct to upholding values.

“It isn’t nearly Will Smith. It is also about how [the academy is] perceived … Let’s be sincere, they care about their picture. That is Hollywood, in spite of everything.”

The academy didn’t reply to a request for remark.