The Oscars 2025 took place on 2 March 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. This was the 97th edition of the Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), but, as usual, it wasn’t without its fair share of drama.
While many of Hollywood’s elite attended the event, considered to be among the most prestigious in the film industry, some were banned from the Oscars. Here, we take a look at some of them:
Will Smith
Who can forget the very infamous Oscars moment from the 2022 ceremony when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped host Chris Rock mid-segment? The incident, one for the history books, surely, occurred after Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
This triggered Smith, who walked right up and slapped Rock, resulting in the Academy banning him from the Oscars and all other Academy-related events for the next ten years.
According to AMPAS, the decision was taken because the Oscars ceremony was “overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.”
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein being banned from the Oscars is not much of a shock, considering the numerous criminal and illegal allegations that emerged during the historical #MeToo movement.
The Academy banned Weinstein in 2017 after several allegations of his sexual assault and harassment came to light, shedding light on years of abuse. Once considered one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, Weinstein is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted as a sex offender.
Richard Gere
Richard Gere, who rose to become one of the biggest film stars in late 1980s and early 1990s Hollywood, might be among the few who were banned for not doing anything wrong. The AMPAS incidentally banned the ‘Pretty Woman’ actor after he criticised the Chinese government while presenting the Oscar for Best Art Direction in 1993.
Gere called out the Chinese government for the “horrendous, horrendous human rights situation there is in China – not only towards their own people, but also to Tibet.”
Some reports also claim, however, that it wasn’t an actual ban, as he was invited to the 2013 ceremony, where he said, “Apparently, I’ve been rehabilitated. It seems if you stay around long enough, they forget they’ve banned you.”
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Roman Polanski
The Academy banned veteran director Roman Polanski in 2018 for his crime in 1977 of having unlawful sex with a minor.
The director who even won a Best Director Oscar for The Pianist in 2003 escaped to Europe in 1978 after he was arrested on account of six charges against a 13-year-old girl including: unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, a lewd and lascivious act, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.
In a plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, hoping to receive a probation-only sentence but fled the country after learning that the judge might reject his appeal.
Many feel that the Academy should have taken this step years ago when the charges first emerged; instead, they acted alongside Bill Cosby due to the wave of anger the #MeToo movement created.
The Oscars this year have not been without their controversies, with many people unhappy with the winners selected by the Academy, or the fact that several big names chose not to attend the event.
Big names like Zendaya, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman and Jonathan Bailey also passed on the event. While Bailey, who was in the hit musical Wicked, could not be there due to other commitments, others are speculated to have given it a miss due to their films being snubbed.
Bailey’s co-star Jeff Goldblum explained to E! News, “He’s on stage right now in England, doing Richard II.”
Angeline Jolie and Zendaya are speculated to have snubbed the Oscars after their films, ‘Maria’ and ‘Challengers’, were overlooked by the Academy despite both receiving nominations at the Golden Globes. Kidman is also rumoured to have taken a break from the event after her film, ‘Babygirl’, went without any nominations.
The 97th Academy Awards faced criticism for not including the late actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away just a few days ago at the age of 29, in the ‘In Memoriam’ segment. The segment also failed to acknowledge other late celebrities, including Tony Todd, Shannen Doherty, and Olivia Hussey.
Several users called out the Oscars for not including her in the memorial segment, with one user writing, “NO Michelle Trachtenberg??? NO Shannen Doherty??? NO Tony Todd???? I’m SICK #Oscars2025.” Another commented, “Oh, f**k y’all for not including Michelle Trachtenberg. So disrespectful #Oscars.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, Firstpost, Mint
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: oscars 2025, oscars, oscars 2025 controversy, oscars banned, oscars celebs banned, 97th academy awards, academy awards, 2025 oscars, oscars 2 snub, Will Smith, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Richard Gere
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