Will Smith was banned on Friday from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years, two weeks after the actor stunned the world by storming on stage mid-ceremony to slap comedian Chris Rock.
Smith will also not be permitted to attend any other events held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the next decade.
The decision, set out in a letter from Academy chiefs, did not revoke the best actor award Smith won last month for King Richard, nor did it mention any ban on future Oscar nominations.
“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 programmes, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” wrote president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.
Academy governors convened on Friday morning to discuss actions against Smith, with board members Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg among those invited to rule on the actor’s fate.
The meeting of top brass from Hollywood’s leading industry body was originally set to discuss suspending or expelling Smith, but he preemptively resigned from the group.
Actors do not need to be members of the Academy to receive nominations, although each year’s Oscar nominees — and winners — are voted for by members of the group.
Smith’s actions during a live global broadcast stunned audiences and cast a shadow over both the night’s big winners and the Tinseltown showcase event itself.
“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,” said the Academy letter.
It added, “This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behaviour is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy.”
The confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars has been discussed around the world in the days since. So many have had their say on the comedian’s joke and on the actor’s decision to respond by slapping Rockon the stage. Now, Jadahas broken her silence and shared a message on social media.
It was a mysterious and cryptic message, with no caption and just an image with some text.
“This is a season for healing and I’m here for it,” the message on Smith’s Instagram said, with the post earning hundreds of thousands of likes from her nearly 12 million followers and others.
Pinkett Smith did not comment amid the furore and public debate that ensued over the merits of Rock’s joke and Smith’s actions until Tuesday, posting to Instagram: “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it”.
Although Will posted an apology on social media.
Rock is yet to comment publicly on what happened at the Oscars or Smith’s apology.
However, tickets for his upcoming comedy shows have reportedly skyrocketed in Sunday’s aftermath.
One live event ticketing site, TickPick, said on Monday that it sold more tickets the previous night than it did in the past month combined.
A spokesperson also told CBS that prices for an upcoming Rock show on Wednesday in Boston rose from $46 (£35.16) to $411 (£314).
More than half of all ticket sales for Rock’s tour – which went on sale a month ago – came after the incident at the Oscars. The vast majority – 88% – of ticket sales for Rock’s shows on the website over the last week came after the incident.
Shortly after the on-stage blow, Smith won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Smith referred to Mr Williams in his tearful acceptance speech, calling him a “fierce defender of his family”.
On Monday, Mr Williams condemned Smith and expressed surprise that the incident had taken place.
“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” he told NBC through his son, Chavoita LeSane. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self defence.”
Earlier in April 2021 Jada Pinkett Smith trended on web for her hijab pictures.
The American actor on Tuesday posted a sun-kissed selfie of herself sporting a peach hijab while she and husband Will Smith spend time in the Middle East. It is not yet clear which country the couple is in though.
“I really think the colour peach in the Middle East … suits me,” wrote Smith in the caption.
Fans and followers, including celebrities, loved Smith’s selfie and gushed over her in the comments section for embracing Muslim culture.
“Beautiful! Thank you for embracing the culture,” wrote one social media user, while Priyanka Chopra commented: “Beautiful.”
“Salaam, you look phenomenal. Queen, thank you for showing the world that you and Will got love for us. We really appreciate it. Sometimes we are made to feel that the world is against us. Queens like you show the world there is nothing to fear and contrary to certain beliefs, we don’t hate the world or non-Muslims. I actually welcome, embrace and love all people. Thank you,” wrote another follower.
Earlier, Jada had also shared pictures of herself wearing a bright, orange hijaab, with the caption: “When you are in the Middle East watching Will Smith on his sunrise run in my non-glamour glory.”
Jada, who has denied being affiliated with any religion, in a series of tweets in 2017, admitted that she incorporates different aspects of several religions in her spiritual routine.
“I recently lit Shabbat candles with Rabbi Bentley at Temple Sinai…but I am not Jewish. I have prayed in mosques all over the world…but I am not a Muslim,” said the actor.
“I have read the Bhagavad Gita…but I am not a Hindu. I have chanted and meditated in some of the most magnificent temples on earth…but I am not a Buddhist,” she said further. “I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech…but I am not a Scientologist.”
“I practice human kindness, and I believe that we each have the right to determine what we are and what we are not. NO ONE ELSE can hold that power,” added Smith.
Transnational celebrities have reacted with a mixture of shock and anger after Hollywood actor Will Smith slapped comedian and host Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.
— Akron Pride Custom Tees (@AkronTees2020) March 28, 2022
Comedian Rock, who was presenting an award, made an on-stage joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss, which is due to alopecia, saying “Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2.”
Smith walked up on stage and struck Rock before returning to his seat and shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.”
Smith later apologised in a tearful best actor acceptance speech, declaring: “Love will make you do crazy things”.
The celebrities have mostly condemned this act of violence by the talented actor.
Oscar Jeet Gaye , par izzat haar gaye ! Sad about #willsmith attacking a fellow artist , !!! Comedians at risk , #NewAge#Notolerance . Dialogue is everything, on screen and off . #Oscars
“I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” Smith said. “I know, to do what we do, we’ve gotta be able to take abuse.
“You’ve gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you’ve gotta be able to have people disrespecting you. You’ve gotta smile and pretend that that’s okay.”
But director Judd Apatow called the incident “pure out of control rage and violence” on Twitter.
“He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence. They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Seems like Will Smith’s plan to get comedian and the world to not make jokes about him is not going to pan out. The Williams family must be furious. Pure narcissism,” he added.
“Also — GI Jane was gorgeous. What exactly is insulting about being compared to a ripped, stunning Demi?’ he wrote, referencing the Ridley Scott–directed Demi Moore–starring film.
The award-winning Hollywood actor, Will Smith has revealed in his new memoir Will that his father, Willard Carroll though present throughout his childhood, was an alcoholic who would regularly beat his mother.
“When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsed,” Smith writes. “I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am.”
The Men in Black star continues to say that the incident haunted him, making him feel like he failed to stand up for his mother.
Nonetheless, he maintained a relationship with his father eventually caring for him when he was diagnosed with cancer. This, according to Smith, was when he considered killing him.
“One night, as I delicately wheeled [my father] from his bedroom toward the bathroom, a darkness arose within me,” he writes.
“The path between the two rooms goes past the top of the stairs. As a child I’d always told myself that I would one day avenge my mother. That when I was big enough, when I was strong enough, when I was no longer a coward, I would slay him.”
“I paused at the top of the stairs. I could shove him down, and easily get away with it,” he writes. “I’m Will Smith. No one would ever believe I killed my father on purpose. I’m one of the best actors in the world. My 911 call would be Academy Award level.”
“As the decades of pain, anger, and resentment coursed then receded, I shook my head and proceeded to wheel Daddio to the bathroom,” he adds.
Will Smith Sr. succumbed to his cancer in 2016.
“There is nothing that you can receive from the material world that will create inner peace or fulfillment,” Smith concludes. “In the end, it will not matter one single bit how well [people] loved you, you will only gain ‘the Smile’ based on how well you loved them,” he writes.
94th Academy Awards kick started in Los Angeles, United States (US) on March 27, 2022. This time, the prestigious award ceremony also celebrated a win for a differently-abled actor however it also witnessed violence on the stage of Academy Awards 2022.
American actor, Troy Kotsur has made history for the first time as a deaf male actor to win Academy Awards 2022 for Best Male Actor in Supporting Role in ‘CODA'(Child of Deaf Adults).
Oscar-winning Korean actress, Youn Yuh Jung, presented the award to Troy Kotsur. He received heartfelt support from Yuh Jung who used sign language to announce his name as the winner. He got a standing ovation and applause in sign language from the audience.
Troy Kotsur made an emotional speech and dedicate the award to his father.
The actor said, “My dad, he was the best signer in our family, but he was in a car accident and he became paralyzed from the neck down and he no longer was able to sing. Dad, I learned so much from you. I’ll always love you. You are my hero.”
CODA also took the award for Best Picture in Oscars 2022 which is a historic win for the deaf community.
American actor, Will Smith also sparked a controversy when he slapped comedian Chris Rock on the stage because the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jade Pinkett Smith.
Rock made a joke about Jade Pinkett Smith starring in “G.I. Jane 2” because of her baldness while announcing the best Documentary Feature. He was referencing the 1997 movie, G.I Jane in which Demi Moore portrayed a character with a shaved head. Pinkett Smith has a medical condition, alopecia which causes hair loss.
British-Pakistani, Riz Ahmed also bagged the first oscar award along with director/writer Aneil Karia for the Best Live-Action Short Film, The Long Goodbye. Riz Ahmed is the co-writer and also starred in the short film.
Here is the full list of winners of the Academy Awards 2022:
BEST PICTURE CODA
BEST DIRECTOR Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
BEST ACTRESS Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
BEST ACTOR Will Smith (King Richard)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Troy Kotsur (CODA)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN Cruella (Jenny Beavan)
BEST SOUND Dune
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Dune
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY CODA
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Belfast
BEST ANIMATED SHORT The Windshield Wiper
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT The Long Goodbye
BEST FILM EDITING Dune
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Clad in a traditional lehenga choli at a local wedding in Karachi, Hollywood actress Lupita Amondi Nyong’o has been making waves online. The Oscar winning star attended the wedding of her friend, artist Misha Japanwala.
The tweet reads, “At the wedding of an amazingly talented friend’s daughter in Karachi- Misha Fisher and their friends from New York, Lupita. Their dance performances rocked!”
The Kenyan-Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her film12 Years a Slave can be seen enjoying with her friends at the wedding and later at a beach in Karachi.
Nyong’o also danced at Japanwala’s wedding to ‘Pony’ by Ginuwine, along with other wedding guests. Those videos have not been made public and will not be shared on this platform in order to respect the privacy of everyone involved.
American rapper Cardi B recently donned Misha’s collection. The acclaimed artist has also previously collaborated with Halsey and Gigi Hadid.
In a post made last night by journalist Sadiq Saleem, Lupita is pictured at a Karachi beach in a black and white playsuit along with choreographer Zahid Hussain. The post reads. “Just before you hit the bed, let me tell you that Lupita is in Karachi dancing the night away at a beach wedding. Misha Japanwala tied the knot today! Seen with her is the go-to wedding choreographer Zahid Hussain. Hope the beach was clean!
Hollywood celebrity and The “Good Will Hunting” Actor Ben Affleck said that Robin William’s impact on his life was undeniable.
Williams was his inspiration and he hero-worshipped the late actor. Robin William was a Hollywood actor and comedian, known for his superb acting and comedy skills.
“I loved Robin. He was the first person that I really met or knew who was, like, ‘famous’,” he said.
The most impressive part about Robin Williams career is that he ruled the stage and got three Oscars in a row.
“I mean, he did so much for us by believing in us and also by how warm and lovely and kind he was and collaborative.”
Explaining Williams’ impact on him, Affleck said, “I wish I had known him my whole life.”
“Growing up, I didn’t have that opportunity, but when I did meet him, I was a pretty young guy; I was 24. It made a massive impression on me and I thought, ‘Okay, that’s how you do this. I’m going to spend my life trying to live up to this example.’”
Saudi Arabia has announced that it is renouncing red for its dignitary visits – and opting for purple carpets instead. The decision was announced by the Ministry of Culture, which connected the change in ceremonial procedure to the violet-coloured plants currently in bloom across the Asir region in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom said the decision to choose lavender as the new colour for ceremonial carpets better reflects Saudi national identity and the hospitality of the kingdom. The Kingdom further said that lavender is associated with Saudi generosity and hospitality. The pleasant change for ceremonial welcome is one of the many initiatives announced as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Lavender covers large areas of the country’s desert landscape in spring and the purple hue of the flower has been associated with royalty.
Prime Minister Imran Khan walked the lavender carpet when he arrived in Saudi Arabia and was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
وزیرِ اعظم عمران خان اعلیٰ سطحی وفد کے ہمراہ تین روزہ دورے پر سعودی عرب پہنچ گئے۔
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 7, 2021
At the Oscars this year, the Academy too, rolled out a pink carpet instead of red for its guests. It’s a shade that is said to flatter the A-listers. A secret colour, one whose precise specifications the show’s organisers won’t reveal for fear of copycats.
Former president of the United States, Donald Trump has bashed the Oscars, calling the ceremony boring and offered advice on how to revive the plummeting ratings.
In a statement emailed to reporters from his office, Trump said: “What used to be called The Academy Awards, and now is called the ‘Oscars’ —a far less important and elegant name—had the lowest Television Ratings in recorded history, even much lower than last year, which set another record low.”
“If they keep with the current ridiculous formula, it will only get worse—if that’s possible,” added the former president.
“Go back 15 years, look at the formula they then used, change the name back to THE ACADEMY AWARDS, don’t be so politically correct and boring, and do it right. ALSO, BRING BACK A GREAT HOST,” continued Trump.
Remarking that the broadcast has become too political, Trump said: “These television people spend all their time thinking about how to promote the Democrat Party, which is destroying our country, and cancel Conservatives and Republicans. That formula certainly hasn’t worked very well for The Academy!”
Last year, when Trump was still president, he had live-tweeted his criticism on the Oscars and bashed voters for giving the best picture to Parasite. At a rally, Trump while talking about the South Korean film had said: “What the hell was that all about? We’ve got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year. Was it good? I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, this year’s ceremony drew only 10.4 million viewers, a record low, according to final Nielsen numbers released on Tuesday — a staggering if widely expected drop for a ceremony that many viewers found short on humour and star power.
With movie theaters shut for most of the year, many viewers had not seen or even heard of nominees such as Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which was the night’s big winner with three prizes but which has taken just over $2 million at the domestic box office.
Several blockbuster films whose stars could have drawn interest at this year’s Oscars saw their release dates shunted to next year due to the pandemic, from Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and the mega-budget sci-fi Dune to an array of popular superhero titles.
This year’s unorthodox Oscars ceremony was moved from a Hollywood theater to a glammed-up Los Angeles train station to abide by strict Covid-19 protocols and reunited Hollywood filmmakers and actors en masse for the first time in more than a year.
Reviews of the show were mixed, with several critics complaining about the show’s lack of humor and musical performances.
While many Oscars begin with gag-heavy monologues, producers turned this year to Regina King, who was one of many stars who referred to racism and police violence — specifically last week’s conviction of Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Other political statements made during the Oscars did not focus on Trump, but on topics like gun violence and policing.
“I know that a lot of you people at home want to reach for your remote when you feel like Hollywood is preaching to you,” she predicted.
Regina King
Variety slammed the decision to go without a host for a third straight year, calling the ceremony “lost and guide-less.”
But the decision to strip out musical performances and most clips of nominated movies — and allow winners to speak at length without being “played off” the stage by an orchestra — drew some praise.
The Oscars drew more than 43 million viewers as recently as 2014, but audiences have become increasingly fragmented in the streaming era.
If there’s one thing that can steal the thunder of history’s deadliest pandemic, it is none other than the fashion politics surrounding the 93rd Annual Academy Awards. Stars and their designers can either make it big on the Oscars Red Carpet like Audrey Hepburn did with her every-trendy white gown for the Oscars 1954 edition, or they can go home as Björk did after her ‘Sawn Dress’ for Oscars 2001 edition was classified as the worst outfit of the decade. I mean, what even was that dress?
Given that we’ve mostly seen stars in their pyjamas and lounge wear most of last year, we were expecting some bold style statements. However, turns out we couldn’t agree more with The New York Times definition of Oscars 2021: ‘A lot of Style, Little Substance‘.
Check out The Current’s picks for the Best and Worst Dressed Celebs during the world’s most glamourous award ceremony!
BEST DRESSED
Zendaya
Zendaya tops the list with her yellow dress from Valentino Haute Couture paired with Bulgari jewellery. The actor paired her outfit with nude makeup making her look like a million dollars.
Brad Pitt
Who else could be rated as the second hottest person and the first hottest man of the evening other than Brad Pitt? The Hollywood heartthrob looked elegant as ever in his classic black and white suit.
Vanessa Kirby
In the era of pastels colors, the Pieces of a Woman actor Vanessa Kirby wore a baby pink Gucci gown that seemed to blend with the background of the Red Carpet. The star paired this look with a bold red lip, shimmery eyes, and Cartier jewellery to bring her A game.
WORST DRESSED
As much as it pains us to make this list, it had to be done.
Questlove
You’ve got to see this! Questlove actually had to the guts to wear golden Crocs at a formal award ceremony. This sure does not look cool and casual if that’s what he tried to portray.
Halle Berry
While Halle Berry got the colour, pixy-like hair and makeup right, the weird oversized draping bow protruding from her waistline ruined the harmony of her entire look landing her straight on the worst-dressed list. Dolce & Gabanna did disappoint us big time with this outfit.
Laura Dern
Last but not least, Laura Dern’s Oscar de la Renta dress with a fluffy lower half that looks more like a wardrobe malfunction was the stuff of nightmare. The dress could have been rescued had the fluffy lower been stitched a little closer to waistline. Designers these days, jeez!
BEST RED CARPET MOMENT
Our resident hero Riz Ahmed may not have taken home an Oscar or made it to the best dressed list but he certainly gave audiences the best red carpet moment when he took a minute to fix his wife’s hair before posing for the cameras. It’s been more than a day since this video came out and we are still swooning.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
