Will Smith Can Still Win Oscars Despite Resigning From The Academy

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy after slapping Chris Rock – but that doesn't mean he can't win an Oscar in the future.

This year's Oscars played host to some major wins: CODA becoming the first streaming platform movie to win Best Picture; Troy Kotsur's historic acting win; Jane Campion becoming the third woman to win Best Director.

Alas, they were all overshadowed by a small, no-less explosive moment: Smith smacking Rock in the face and warning him to 'keep [his] wife's name out [his] f***ing mouth' after making a 'G.I. Jane 2' joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

Shortly after the slap, Smith took to the stage once more to accept his first-ever Oscar for King Richard. While omitting Rock, he apologised to the Academy and his 'fellow nominees' before issuing a public apology to the comedian the next day.

As one would expect with one of the biggest news stories of the year, and perhaps the most shocking Oscars moment in history, it has dominated social media over the past week, with several celebrities and comedians giving their opinions, in addition to hundreds of memes.

Will Smith smacked Chris Rock during the Oscars (Alamy)

Amid the controversy and impending disciplinary action against Smith, he resigned from the Academy. In a statement, he said he was 'heartbroken' over his 'shocking, painful, and inexcusable' behaviour, reiterated his apology to Rock and said he'd fully accept the consequences of his actions.

If you're unsure what resigning from the Academy actually means, it's as simple as this: he can't vote for future winners; he can still attend the next Oscars; and most importantly, he can still be nominated and win an Academy Award, barring any decision from the disciplinary proceedings, as per Variety.

David Rubin, president of the Academy, said it had accepted Smith's resignation but would still be looking at disciplinary action.

Alamy

In a statement, he said: "We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18."

Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild also said it was considering disciplinary action.

In a statement, it said: "We have been in contact with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC about this incident and will work to ensure this behaviour is appropriately addressed," adding it wouldn't comment on the Academy's review.

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