Will Smith could join this nefarious group of celebs BANNED by the Academy
Will Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences after facing possible expulsion or suspension on Friday, April 1, due to the controversial slap he gave comedian Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Academy Awards.
But does Smith's abrupt resignation mean that the actor could still be banned by the Academy itself? According to Hollywood Reporter columnist Scott Feinberg, his resignation means he no longer has an Oscar vote. However, Smith can reportedly attend future ceremonies and keep the Best Actor statue he won at Sunday’s ceremony. But if Smith were to be banned by the Academy, he would become the sixth figure to be officially banned from the group due to moral misconduct.
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If blacklisted, Smith would join an exclusive fraternity of Oscar exiles. Here is a list of celebs who have been expelled by the Academy.
Carmine Caridi
'The Godfather: Part II' actor Carmine Caridi, was the first person ever to be expelled by the Academy. According to the Telegraph, Caridi was banned in 2004 for disseminating copies of screeners that were annually mailed to Academy members. For at least three years, the actor had reportedly given serial film pirate Russell Sprague copies of up to 60 flicks until he was arrested by the cops.
Harvey Weinstein
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was banned from the academy in 2017 after he was accused by over 80 women of sexual assault. By banning Weinstien, the Academy said it wanted to both "separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues" and also "send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behaviour and workplace harassment in our industry is over," Yahoo News reported.
Roman Polanski
'The Pianist' director Roman Polanski was blacklisted in 2018 after it was reported that Polanski allegedly had unlawful intercourse with a minor back in 1977 when he was 43-year-old. The Academy was inspired to act against the 88-year-old Academy Award-winner due to pressure from the # MeToo movement spurred by Weinstein’s crimes.
The board stated that it had voted to expel "director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s standards of conduct," per Yahoo News. Following his exile, Polanski filed a lawsuit against the Academy, but he was unsuccessful.
Bill Cosby
Actor-comedian Bill Cosby was banished from the Academy in 2018 after he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting former basketballer Andrea Constand. After serving 10 years in prison, Cosby came out of prison, but he could not get back into the elite group.
Adam Kimmel
Despite his alleged pedophilia, cinematographer Adam Kimmel managed to build a successful career with movies like 'Beautiful Girls' and 'Capote'. The cinematographer was arrested and charged in 2003 and again in 2010 for sexual crimes against underage girls. After the first arrest, Kimmel pleaded guilty to third-degree rape. Then, the Academy banned him in 2021 due to his history as a registered sex offender.