Oscars 2023: Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinket-Smith seemingly stayed back home as the 95th Academy Awards unraveled in Los Angeles but Oscars 2023 host Jimmy Kimmel ensured they were remembered this year. The couple made the headlines at the Oscars 2022 after Will slapped comedian Chris Rock. Will and Jada opted to stay at home for two likely reasons.
Firstly, as reported by Harper’s Bazaar, Will and Jada primarily skipped Oscars 2023 because the actors have not been nominated for an Oscar. Second, Will has been banned from the Academy Awards for 10 years following his controversial slapgate, which means that the Best Actor winner of Oscars 2022 will not be walking the red carpet for a long time. After the ban, Will resigned from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and issued a statement accepting his mistake.
Also read: Oscars 2023 LIVE Updates
While the controversy has been discussed throughout the year and the Academy has taken necessary steps to ensure there is no repeat of the incident this year, Oscars 2023 host Jimmy Kimmel took a dig at Will and the slap in his opening monologue.
“We want you to have fun. We want you to feel safe. And most importantly, we want me to feel safe. So we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and be permitted to give an 18-minute long speech,” Kimmel mocked, referring to Will Smith’s win last year for King Richard.
“Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year – nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug,” he added.
Meanwhile, India is eyeing the Oscar in three categories — Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu, Best Documentary Short Film for The Elephant Whisperers, and All That Breathes for Best Documentary Feature Film.
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