Academy bans Will Smith from Oscars ceremony for 10 years over Chris Rock slap

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will prohibit actor Will Smith from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock, the organization announced Friday.

Smith, who slapped Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, already resigned from the group behind the Academy Awards — a move that prevented the motion picture academy from suspending or expelling him.

"Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation," the academy said in an open letter.