Piers Morgan has condemned the actions of the Academy Awards who have barred Will Smith, 53, from attending their events despite the Hollywood actor’s resignation. The former Good Morning Britain presenter blasted the Oscars for not taking the same stance with convicted sex offender Roman Polanski.
The board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, announced the decision after meeting to discuss possible sanctions following the star’s outburst at the event.
Will can no longer attend any Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years after slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the ceremony.
Earlier this month, the King Richard actor resigned his membership from the Academy, giving up his voting rights and added he would accept the consequences of his actions.
Taking to Twitter today, Piers, 57, hit out at the decision in view of his 7.9 million followers.
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He tweeted: “BREAKING: Will Smith banned by the Hollywood Academy, 12 days after he slapped Chris Rock.
“It took the same Academy 40 years to ban Roman Polanski after he was convicted of raping a child.”
Film director Polanski, 88, fled the US while awaiting final sentencing, having pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in 1978.
Piers had previously addressed the incident in question in a recent column where he defended Will and slated the Oscars for their “nauseating hypocrisy”.
Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in 2009 on a warrant for his 1977 crime, where he drugged and raped a 13-year-old-girl.
He admitted to the crime in the 70s but before he received his full sentence, he fled America and never returned in a bid to avoid conviction.
Despite his accusation, Piers pointed out: “Hollywood carried on hiring Polanski to direct movies from his European exile, and in 2003, it awarded him the Oscar for Best Director at the Academy Awards for his work on The Pianist”.
The Talk TV presenter ended his column in the New York Post by saying: “The truth is that Hollywood wouldn’t know morality if it was slapped around its collective two faces.