Academy Moves Up Board Meeting to Decide on Will Smith Discipline

AMPAS governors will now meet on Friday, April 8 rather than the previously scheduled April 18

Will Smith onstage after winning Best Actor at the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 (Getty Images)
Will Smith onstage after winning Best Actor at the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 (Getty Images)

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is planning to move up its board meeting to decide on additional discipline for Will Smith to this Friday.

Academy President David Rubin shared the plans in a letter to the Academy’s governors on Wednesday requesting that the previously scheduled meeting on April 18 move up to this week.

Because Smith had already resigned his membership, the timeline with which they had to give Smith notice no longer applies, and Rubin said that “it is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion.” 

“The April 18 date was set in accordance with California law and our Standards of Conduct because our agenda included possible suspension or expulsion of Mr. Smith from membership,” Rubin said in a note obtained by TheWrap. “We were required to provide Mr. Smith notice 15 days prior to the board meeting at which such action might be taken, and also give him the opportunity to provide the board a written statement no less than five days prior to that meeting.”  

The “King Richard” actor and Oscar winner already resigned his membership from the Academy last Friday, but they could still additionally discipline him for his slap of Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony. That could include making him ineligible for future awards consideration either temporarily or permanently, they can choose to block him from attending next year’s ceremony or future ceremonies, and on the most extreme end, they could choose to revoke his Oscar for Best Actor, though such a step has never been taken for matters of conduct.

Smith in his resignation announcement said that he was “heartbroken” and willing to accept any other consequences that would come his way.

“Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason,” he previously said.

Variety first reported the news.

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