As the Oscars 2026 approach this March, the biggest celebrities will attend. The Oscars typically celebrate movies, but sometimes the stories that emerge from the event are just as intriguing as the winners. Will Smith was the most searched name online during the 2026 ceremony, even though he wasn’t even there.
Smith is still linked to one of the most shocking events in Oscars history, even though it happened years ago at the 94th Academy Awards. As the 2026 awards drew closer, a lot of people started looking up his name again to see if his ban was still in place and if he could ever come back to the event.
The Day That Changed the Oscars
In 2022, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith and her shaved head while giving out an award. This is when the fight started. Pinkett Smith has talked about how hard it is for her to deal with Alopecia, which makes her hair fall out.
Smith slapped Rock on stage in front of a global television audience just after the joke. After that, he went back to his seat and yelled at the comedian to stop talking about his wife’s name. The shocking scene quickly went viral, starting arguments about what is funny, what is respectful, and where the line should be drawn in entertainment.
Jada Pinkett Smith said she thought the Oscars slap was a skit.
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) January 6, 2026
“I was like, ‘There’s no way that Will hit him.’ It wasn’t until Will started walking back to his seat that I realized it wasn’t a skit.”
The first thing she asked was, “Are you okay?”pic.twitter.com/lMI9YwxkON
Smith won the Best Actor award for his role in the movie King Richard just minutes after the incident, which is funny. The event should have been a career high point, but it was overshadowed by the controversy that had just happened.
The 10-Year Ban
After the incident, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences looked into it and then announced a 10-year ban that kept Smith from going to Academy events, including the Oscars. Smith also quit the Academy not long after the decision.
He can still be nominated for and win awards, but he can’t go to the ceremony in person until 2032. The Academy said that the punishment was meant to keep the organisation professional and trustworthy.
Why He Was Popular Again in 2026
As the 98th Academy Awards drew near in 2026, news outlets brought up old Oscar scandals, and Smith’s slap on stage became a topic of conversation again. Articles about celebrities who weren’t allowed to attend the ceremony brought the story back into the news.
Because of this, people started looking for news about Smith to see if his ban had been lifted, if he could still win awards, and how the incident had affected his career.
Four years later, that moment is still a strong reminder of how one unexpected action can change a night that was supposed to be about movies.
FAQs
1. What made Will Smith not be able to go to the Oscars?
Smith was banned for 10 years after hitting Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said the choice was necessary to keep its events safe and professional.
2. Is it still possible for Will Smith to win an Oscar while he is banned?
Yes. The ban only stops Smith from going to Academy events. He can still be nominated for and even win awards for performances in the future.
3. Why was Will Smith so popular during the 2026 Oscars?
Before the 98th Academy Awards, news outlets looked back at some of the biggest scandals in Oscar history. The slap in 2022 is still one of the most memorable parts of the ceremony, and it made people search for Smith again online.
