Steve McQueen’s “Ten Years An Oscar Exile”

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The Motion Picture Academy announced today (Friday) that as punishment for slapping Chris Rock during the recent Oscar telecast, Will Smith is banned from attending all Academy events and particularly the Oscars, for the next 10 years.

So even if Smith is nominated for his beaten runaway-slave performance in Emancipation, which is certainly possible if and when Apple+ releases it later this year, he’ll be persona non grata at the 2023 Oscars. As well as the 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031 and 2032 Oscars. Smith will be 64 years old when he’s permitted to once again attend the ceremony in 2033.

Will the Oscars even be a thing ten years hence?

In an open letter, Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said that the 3.27 Oscar ceremony was “overshadowed by [Smith’s] unacceptable and harmful behavior,” and that the ten-year ban “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.” Including Will!

Marcus Licinious Crassus: “I submit that Will Smith has disgraced the institution of the Motion Picture Academy. The punishment is well known. Let Will be denied fire, water, food and shelter for a distance of 400 miles in all directions from the city of Los Angeles.”