Will Smith’s 10-year Academy ban followed an incident at the 2022 Oscars,
where he slapped comedian Chris Rock after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia. Smith had laughed initially but then stormed the stage and confronted Rock. The Academy swiftly banned him from attending any events or programs for 10 years.
Richard Gere was banned in 1993 for criticizing the Chinese government, with his 20-year ban lifted in 2013. Bill Cosby received a lifetime ban after being convicted of sexual assault, though his conviction was later vacated, but the ban remained.
Carmine Caridi was banned for life in 2004 due to video piracy, despite being cleared of criminal wrongdoing. Harvey Weinstein was banned in 2017 after sexual abuse allegations, and Roman Polanski’s ban followed his 1977 conviction for unlawful sex with a minor.
