Connect with us

Entertainment

Will Smith Slapped with a 10-Year Ban by Oscar’s Board

oscars 2022

Actor Will Smith has received a 10 year ban from the academy board from all of its events including the Oscars.

The Oscar’s verdict is coming two weeks after that eventful Oscar’s night when Smith took to stage to slap Chris Rock after the comedian made a bad joke about his wife Jada Pickett Smith’s hair loss condition known as alopecia, while he was about to make a presentation.

Though that night ended well for Smith as he received his first ever Oscar for his titular role in King Richard, the sweet taste of snapping the highly coveted award soon turned sour as the actor soon began to face the repercussions of what many have adjudged to have been an assault on Rock. And Yes many also believe that Rock’s joke was a bad one but not enough to excuse Smith’s out-of-character response.

Netflix as well as a couple of other studio pulled the plug on projects involving Smith and now the Oscar’s board has decided on axing the Bad Boys actor for a full decade.

Will Smith had prior to this ban resigned from the Academy but this didn’t result in any leniency from the guys at the board.

The Academy board in their statement as obtained by Variety said that they hoped the verdict would serve to pacify Smith’s victim

“This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted,” the board said

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences board also apologized for not responding to the situation earlier on and hopes that Smith’s huge penalty makes up for their oversight.

“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. 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.”

The Board also lauded Rock for his professionalism with handling the situation which was so well done that some viewers thought the slap was part of the act for his presentation.

“We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.”

Read Also: Full List of Winners at the 94th Academy Awards

To the board’s verdict Will Smith has responded saying; “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

There have been calls to strip Smith of his Oscar statute but the Oscars has said it has no legal grounds to do this citing that convicted actors like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski still posses their respective Oscar awards.

On a brighter note, neither does the ban nor Smith’s resignation prevent him from receiving Oscar nods or even winning another one of their golden statutes.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Celebs

I am Not A Womanizer, I Just Love Hard – 2BABA

When Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, recently described himself as a “lover boy” rather than a womaniser, the comment landed with a sense of irony. In a recent sit-down with the Voice of Nigeria, the singer addressed the tag that has followed him for decades: “The biggest misconception about me is that I’m a womaniser. I’m a lover boy. I love hard.

While 2Baba frames his history as one of intense affection, his personal relationship timeline is a complex one. This “lover boy” energy has seen him father eight children across four different relationships, most notably with Sumbo Adeoye and Pero Adeniyi, the latter of whom remained a source of public tension during his 12-year marriage to actress Annie Idibia.

2Baba’s romantic history predates his rise to superstardom, but it became more visible as his career took off in the early 2000s. He is a father to eight children with four women: Sumbo Ajala, now known as Sumbo Adeoye; Pero Adeniyi, now known as Pero Adeniyi Agofure; Annie Macaulay; and Natasha Osawaru.

Although Annie is often remembered as his earliest and most enduring partner, 2Baba’s first child is with Sumbo Ajala, with whom he has two children. He later had three children with Pero Adeniyi, with whom he maintained an on-and-off relationship for several years. These overlapping relationships, which became public over time, contributed to the perception of instability in his romantic life.

Despite their long history, their relationship was repeatedly tested. While Annie and 2Baba eventually married and had two children together, their union was marked by years of public strain, including disputes involving extended family members, social media outbursts, and emotional revelations on reality television.

Following years of public online in-law drama and emotional outcries on reality TV, 2Baba has since turned a new leaf with his current wife, Natasha Osawaru, whom he married in July 2025, months after news of his separation from Annie became public.

The marriage surprised many and was widely interpreted as a fresh start, placing the singer in a more settled social environment. However, the promise of stability was soon put to the test. By late 2025, rumours of marital tension began circulating online, driven largely by videos and social media activity. One widely shared clip appeared to show 2Baba and Natasha engaged in a heated exchange at a shopping mall in the United Kingdom.

Another incident occurred during a live Instagram session hosted by Daddy Freeze, where the singer joined a conversation involving his former management. In the video, raised voices could be heard, prompting widespread speculation about the state of their marriage.

Public reactions were swift, with some questioning the dynamics of the relationship. Days later, 2Baba addressed the situation directly, warning that public speculation had gone too far.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Grammys 2026: Tyla outshines Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid & Ayra Starr in the African music category

South African pop star, Tyla, has once again stamped her authority on the global music stage after winning the Best African Music Performance award at the 2026 Grammy Awards, defeating Nigeria’s biggest exports — Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid — in a fiercely contested category.

Tyla secured the honour with her viral record, “Push 2 Start,” ahead of Burna Boy’s “Love,” Davido and Omah Lay’s collaboration “With You,” Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat,” as well as Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin’s “Hope & Love.” The category, introduced to spotlight African creativity, continues to draw global attention as Afrobeats and African pop gain mainstream appeal worldwide

The victory extends Tyla’s fast-rising dominance in international award circles and highlights South Africa’s growing footprint in the African and global music ecosystem.

For Nigeria, however, the night ended in disappointment. Despite heavy nominations across top categories, no Nigerian artiste returned home with a Grammy trophy in 2026. Established stars such as Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid all fell short, marking one of the rare years Africa’s most influential music nation failed to record a win at the Grammys.

Burna Boy also suffered a setback in the Best Global Music Album category, where his project, “No Sign of Weakness,” lost out to Brazilian legends Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia, whose collaborative live album, “Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo,” claimed the prize.

Tyla’s latest Grammy moment carries historical weight. She is now a two-time winner of the Best African Music Performance category, having first made history in 2024 with her smash hit, “Water,” which earned her the title of the category’s inaugural recipient. Her repeat success signals consistency, global acceptance and the widening space for African female stars in the international music market.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Davido Comes Under Fire For Comments On Ishowspeed’s ‘Multiple Women’ Massage in Ghana

Afrobeats star Davido became the subject of online discussion after sharing a playful Instagram story that many Nigerians interpreted as controversial. On 26 January 2026, the Grammy-nominated singer reposted a viral video of American streamer IShowSpeed receiving a massage from multiple women in Ghana, during his African tour.

In the repost on his Instagram Stories, Davido tagged his wife, Chioma Rowland Adeleke, with a light-hearted caption that appeared to seek her permission for a similar “Ghana shea butter massage.”

The caption read: ‘@thechefchi oh boy my darling wife pls permit me 😅😅this nah Ghana???’

The post was framed as humour, but screenshots of the story quickly circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where it gained significant attention beyond his Instagram audience.

While some viewers interpreted the message as harmless banter between a married couple, others viewed it as inappropriate, particularly given Davido’s public profile and marital status.

The post generated a range of reactions from Nigerian social media users. Some expressed discomfort with the public nature of the message, questioning its appropriateness given Davido’s marital status. Others used humour or satire to comment on the situation, while several users framed their reactions.

While some comments implied that the post reinforced long-standing perceptions about his personal life, other users defended the artist, describing the post as an unserious “cruise” or typical celebrity humour taken out of context.

It is worth noting the budding relationship between Davido and IShowSpeed (real name Darren Watkins Jr.). The two have connected through the streamer’s recent African tour, which included stops in Nigeria and Ghana.

On 21 January 2026, IShowSpeed’s 21st birthday, Davido surprised him with a FaceTime call during a live stream in Lagos, Nigeria. The Afrobeats hitmaker, who was in Paris at the time, wished Speed a happy birthday, congratulated him on reaching 50 million YouTube subscribers, and promised a future collaboration in the US

Continue Reading

Trending