Did you know these celebs have been banned from the Oscars?

It’s all set for the 95th Academy Awards, one of the biggest occasions in Hollywood, which will air on Sunday, March 12^th at the Dolby Theater, a venue that has served as the ceremony’s location since 2002. As the Oscars will bring together the most prominent stars in the entertainment industry, receiving an invitation to the event is not a guarantee for every Hollywood celebrity.

Some well-known people have previously been barred from attending the Oscars. One of the most recent is Will Smith. As the Oscars were airing, the Men in Black actor smacked comedian Chris Rock after he made a few comments about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

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The Oscars promptly announced that Will was not permitted to attend any events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the next ten years.

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Who else has been barred from the Academy Awards and why?

A stunning 20-year ban was imposed on Richard Gere, who starred in some of the most beloved films of all time, including Beautiful Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman.

Richard spoke out against the Chinese regime in 1993 while he was meant to be presenting the Oscar for Art Design during his onstage appearance at the Oscars.

The Godfather Part II actor Carmine Caridi made history by becoming the first member to be permanently banned from the Academy. He was caught producing copies of preview screeners of nominated movies in 2004. Once copies of Something’s Gotta Give, The Last Samurai, Mystic River, Big Fish, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the Earth were discovered to have been traceable to the actor, the FBI began looking into the matter.

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The Academy also banned several celebrities for more serious offences: Roman Polanski, a director, was expelled from the Academy in 2018, more than 40 years after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. Bill Cosby was banned due to charges of sexual assault.

After facing numerous allegations of sexual assault, Harvey Weinstein was given a lifetime ban in 2017.