Will Smith would suffer enough indignity in and of itself simply by getting kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even more humiliating, however, would be the small band of brothers he'd be joining in doing so:
Will Smith ever be allowed back? Or could the slap earn him a one-way ticket to the door, making him only the sixth person in history to be expelled from the Academy?
To answer that, we have to unpack whether Smith's slap meets the criteria for expulsion. Per the Academy's Standards of Conduct, members are expected to "behave ethically by upholding the Academy's values of respect for human dignity, inclusion, and a supportive environment that fosters creativity." The Academy is also "categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination." Its language is broad but pliable, able to suit a variety of situations that might arise in the future...
Perhaps it would be more helpful, then, to examine the precedent the Academy has set for expulsion. In its 94-year history, the Academy has expelled only five members: Carmine Caridi, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel.
Oof. Not a great lineup there.
You'll surely have heard of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski—convicted sex criminals, all three—but Caridi and Kimmel might have you scratching your heads.
By way of review: Firstly, the actor Caridi was kicked out for probably the lowest-class offense one could commit in this context:
Caridi, the first person ever kicked out of the Academy, was expelled in 2004 for making VCR copies of screeners and sharing them with friends and family.
That's right: Caridi was booted for bootlegging! Straight out of a 1992 New York City street corner, baby. Those FBI warnings are legit!
Secondly, the cinematographer Kimmel, who was kicked out after sex crimes similar to Polanski's:
Kimmel, a cinematographer who lensed films like Capote and Lars and the Real Girl, was expelled in 2021, after a Variety report detailed his history as a registered sex offender. Kimmel had been arrested in 2003 and 2010, charged both times for sexual crimes against underage girls.
Pretty amazing that took the Academy 18 years to find out about these sex crime charges.
Or maybe they knew about them already and did nothing?
Well, anyway, I'm sure Will Smith is just waiting with bated breath to see if he makes it into this select group of A-list Hollywood celebrities.
Good luck, buddy!
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