Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 18:35 IST
Six people banned from the Oscars include Will Smith, Bill Cosby, Carmine Caridi, Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, and Adam Kimmel for various misconduct and ethical violations.
The Six Celebrities Who Are Banned From Attending The Oscars
The Academy Awards are known for glamour, emotional speeches and historic wins but every once in a while, Hollywood’s biggest night also becomes the centre of controversy. Over the years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken strict action against a handful of industry figures whose actions were deemed to violate its code of conduct.
As the 98th Oscars approach on March 15, six people from the entertainment industry remain barred from attending the prestigious ceremony including actor Will Smith and comedian Bill Cosby.
Following Smith’s suspension in 2022, the Academy reiterated its expectations for members through its Standards of Conduct. The guidelines state that members must “act in a manner consistent with the good reputation of the Academy” and condemn “physical contact that is uninvited and, in the situation, inappropriate and unwelcome.”
The rules also clarify that violations may lead to disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from membership.
Here’s a closer look at the six individuals who have been banned from the Oscars and the incidents that led to the action.
Carmine Caridi
Actor Carmine Caridi became the first person ever expelled from the Academy in 2004 after he was found sharing Oscar screening copies with an outsider.
Caridi had been an Academy member since 1982 and routinely received advance film screeners sent to voters during awards season. After a technician named Russell Sprague fixed his VCR, Caridi began lending him the tapes — a practice that continued for some time.
“I would send them to him before I even looked at them,” Caridi told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2017. “And then he would copy them and send them back.”
The arrangement eventually caught the attention of the FBI, which summoned Caridi to its Los Angeles office and offered him immunity if he identified Sprague.
Soon after, the Academy’s board of governors voted to remove him from the organisation.
“They wrote me a letter,” he recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. “‘You’re finished.’ “
The actor — known for appearing in The Godfather — later acknowledged he had broken the Academy’s rules and said he did not blame the organisation for its decision.
Harvey Weinstein
Film producer Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy in October 2017 after dozens of women accused him of sexual misconduct.
More than 80 women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment, triggering a wave of global scrutiny within the entertainment industry.
Before removing him, the Academy condemned Weinstein’s conduct as “repugnant, abhorrent, and antithetical to the high standards of the Academy and the creative community it represents.”
The Board of Governors then voted overwhelmingly to expel him.
“We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over,” the statement continued. “What’s at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society.”
Producer Harvey Weinstein became the second individual to be removed from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2020, he received a 23-year prison sentence after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. That conviction was later overturned when the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge had failed to ensure a fair trial, according to The Associated Press.
Despite that decision, Weinstein continued to face legal proceedings. In June 2025, a jury delivered a split verdict, finding him guilty of one count of a criminal sex act tied to a 2006 incident involving former television production assistant Miriam Haley.
Separately, a court in Los Angeles sentenced Weinstein to an additional 16 years in prison in February 2023 after he was convicted of raping another woman. The former producer is currently housed at New York’s maximum-security prison, Rikers Island, while awaiting retrial in a separate case involving allegations of a criminal sexual act against Jessica Mann.
Bill Cosby
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby was removed from the Academy shortly after his criminal conviction in a sexual assault case. In April 2018, Cosby was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in January 2004. The verdict led to a prison sentence of three to 10 years.
Within days of the ruling, the Academy announced it had voted to expel Cosby, stating that the decision was taken “in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct.”
“The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity,” the statement continued.
Cosby was released from prison in June 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction.
Roman Polanski
Filmmaker Roman Polanski was expelled from the Academy in the same period as Cosby due to his past conviction.
The Oscar-winning director had pleaded guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse involving a 13-year-old girl who accused him of giving her alcohol and part of a quaalude. Under a plea agreement, Polanski served 42 days in jail. However, he left the United States before completing a longer sentence and has remained a fugitive from U.S. authorities for decades.
Reflecting on the case years later, Polanski told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2017, “As far as what I did: It’s over. I pleaded guilty.”
Polanski continues to live and work in Europe, where he still directs films.
Adam Kimmel
Cinematographer Adam Kimmel was expelled from the Academy after his past criminal record resurfaced.
Kimmel had been admitted as a member in 2007, years after his earlier offences. However, a November 2020 investigation by Variety revealed that he had previously been arrested and convicted of rape and assault involving minors.
Following the report, the Academy moved to remove him from its membership in March 2021.
In a statement to the publication, the organisation explained that its selection system operates on trust.
The Academy said its membership process is “based on an honor system that relies on the integrity of prospective members, their sponsors, and branch committee members to disclose any disqualifying information.”
The statement also noted that the Academy would examine the matter further and would “continue to examine its member selection process regularly to ensure that it accurately reflects Academy values.”
Will Smith
One of the most widely discussed moments in Oscars history occurred during the 2022 ceremony when actor Will Smith confronted comedian Chris Rock on stage.
Rock had been presenting the award for Best Documentary when he joked about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, saying, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya.” Pinkett Smith had been open about her shaved head and her experience with Alopecia.
Shortly after the remark, Smith walked onto the stage and struck Rock. Reacting to the incident, Rock said, “Oh wow. Will Smith just smacked the s— out of me.”
After returning to his seat, Smith shouted toward the stage, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth!”
Nearly two weeks later, the Academy’s Board of Governors announced disciplinary action against the actor, banning him from attending Academy events and programmes for 10 years beginning April 8, 2022.
In a letter obtained by PEOPLE, Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson acknowledged that the organisation did not adequately respond during the live broadcast.
“This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented,” they wrote.
First Published:
March 14, 2026, 18:35 IST
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