Every celebrity who has been banned from attending the Oscars
From Will Smith to Bill Cosby, the Academy Awards have banned a host of celebrities - some of which have already served their time
Winning an Oscar is the culmination of every actor's career, and while few achieve such greatness, and even fewer have done so more than once, there is one moment that has become synonymous with the ceremony.
Unfortunately for record breakers like Walt Disney, Daniel Day-Lewis and Katherine Hepburn, the most iconic moment in the Academy Awards almost century-long history is that of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.
Which brings us onto our first celebrity...
Will Smith
To re-jog our memories, the 56-year-old ban comes on the back of what happened at the awards ceremony just before he picked up an illusive Academy Award - which he had only been nominated for twice before - for Best Actor for his part in King Richard.
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The then 53-year-old was sat in the audience with wife Jada Pinkett Smith when host Rock made a joke about her being bald.
Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out.
Rock quipped during his monologue: "Jada, I love you, GI Jane two, can't wait to see it!" - which referenced the 1997 film GI Jane, where the lead actress shaved off her hair to join the military."
The line drew some laughs from the crowd, including Smith himself, before he realized his wife did not find it funny and in turn, marched on stage to slap Rock before yelling: "Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth."
A week later the Oscars officially banned him for a staggering 10 years.
The board said: "The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."
Richard Gere
Richard Gere, one of the great actors from the 1980s and 90s, received his ban back in 1993 - and it was to do with him using his platform to criticize the Chinese government.
He was handed a hefty 20-year ban, meaning it wasn't until 2013 that he was allowed back on the red carpet.
Joking about his ban with HuffPost UK at the time it was lifted, Gere said: "Apparently, I've been rehabilitated. It seems if you stay around long enough, they forget they've banned you."
Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby has been handed a lifetime ban by the Academy after he was convicted of sexual assault.
However, in 2021 he was released from prison and his conviction was vacated... but the board has vowed to uphold his suspension.
After the former actor and comedian was freed, the Academy issued a statement, which read: "The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect for human dignity.
Carmine Caridi
The late Carmine Caridi, best-known for playing the roles of Carmine Rosato and Albert Volpe in The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III, became the first person to be banned for life by the Academy.
That was for his part in video piracy, as he was accused of circulating VHS tapes of upcoming movies to his friend Russell Sprague illegally, which were all later found online.
Following a criminal investigation, Caridi was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the case was never closed as Sprague sadly suffered a heart attack and passed away during legal proceedings.
Despite his innocence, the Academy ruled in 2004 that he was banned for violating his agreement to safeguard their screeners.
Harvey Weinstein
In 2017, the disgraced director was banned by the Oscars following sexual abuse allegations that dated back decades and was later sentenced to 23 years in prison.
In a statement, the board said: "[Weinstein's actions were] repugnant, abhorrent, and antithetical to the high standards of the academy and the creative community it represents."
Roman Polanski
Despite winning numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Director in 2002 for The Pianist, filmmaker Roman Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1977 after being arrested for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
Just before he was due to be sentenced, he fled to Europe to continue his career.
All attempts to extradite him back to the US have ended in failure.
Topics: Oscars, Academy Awards, Will Smith
Joe Yates