At the 2022 Oscars, there was a slap in the face that was heard around the world.
Will Smith took the stage and slammed Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s, shaved head.
Smith then yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth,” while Rock, who appeared nervous, told the shocked audience, “Will Smith just slapped me good.”
Smith, who minutes later won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard, now faces an Academy disciplinary action.
On Wednesday evening (March 30), the Academy Board of Directors, which includes Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Spielberg and Laura Dern, held an emergency meeting to discuss the incident.
Many have wondered what punitive action the academy will take against the actor, a longtime voting member. Never before has an actor had an Oscar revoked, but several stars have had their Academy membership revoked.
The moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars
(AP)
In his emotional acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the academy and his fellow candidates, saying, “I hope the academy invites me back.”
Whether Smith will be allowed to return remains to be seen. In the meantime, here are the five people who have been expelled (i.e. had their membership revoked) from the Academy in its 94-year history…
Carmine Caridi
Carmine Caridi as Albert Volpe in The Godfather Part III
(Paramount Pictures)
Godfather Part II star Caridi was the first person to be expelled from the Academy. In 2004, he was expelled for making and sharing VCR copies of preview screenings. The actor was investigated by the FBI after copies of Something’s Gotta Give, The Last Samurai, Mystic River, Big Fish and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World were allegedly traced to Caridi.
Federal authorities alleged that Caridi gave his copies of screenings of up to 60 films to a man named Russell Sprague for at least three years. Caridi gave Sprague’s name to the FBI in exchange for immunity and was sued by Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros.
Harvey Weinstein
(AFP via Getty Images)
Hollywood mogul Weinstein was ousted in 2017, just a month after the New York Times’ explosive report that surfaced allegations of sexual harassment against him.
The board said its decision was “not only to part ways with someone who does not deserve the respect of his peers,” but also “to send the message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and abuse is over. “Workplace bullying in our industry.”
Weinstein’s brother Bob called on the academy to expel him, calling the producer “sick and depraved,” adding, “I’m going to send them a message saying he should definitely be expelled from the academy.”
Weinstein has denied all allegations of wrongdoing but is currently serving a 23-year sentence for his crimes.
Bill Cosby
(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The Cosby Show actor, once known as “America’s Father” for his paternal role on the show, was expelled in 2018, a month after he was found guilty of sexual assault. He was on trial in 2004 for drugging and assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constand.
He was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years, but was later released from prison and having his 2018 sexual assault conviction overturned. He has long denied any misconduct charges.
Roman Polansky
(REUTERS/Ina Fassbender)
Director Polanski was fired at the same time as Cosby, although he pleaded guilty to having illegal sex with a minor in the US in 1977 and fled to France. The #MeToo movement that emerged after Weinstein’s crimes were exposed put pressure on the Academy to crack down on Polanski.
In retaliation, Polanski filed a lawsuit against the Academy and lost it. In a statement, the academy said its board “voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from their membership in accordance with the organization’s standards of conduct.”
He added, “The Board continues to promote ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Adam Kimmel
(Getty Images)
Cinematographer Kimmel, who worked on films including Capote and Lars and the Real Girl, was fired in 2021 after reports surfaced of his history as a registered sex offender.
Kimmel was arrested in 2003 and 2010 and both times charged with sex crimes against underage girls. After the initial arrest, Kimmel pleaded guilty to third-degree rape. After the second, he was convicted of a Class D felony for failing as a sex offender.
Follow live updates on the Will Smith Oscars scandal here.