Trevor Noah: Will Smith Should Not Have Been Banned From Oscars

Trevor Noah is sharing his thoughts on Will Smith's 10-year Oscars ban.

Last week it emerged that Smith, who walked onto the stage and hit Chris Rock with an open palm at the awards show after Rock cracked a joke about the actor's wife, was banned for 10 years from attending the Oscars or any other events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. On Monday Noah weighed in on the controversy on "The Daily Show." 

"When I first read the headline, I thought this was the worst punishment ever. I was like, 10 years? The Oscars? This is ridiculous," Noah said. "But I got into the details, and I realize he gets to keep his Oscar, and he can still win Oscars even though he’s banned. So in many ways, this isn’t a punishment. This is a favor."

Noah pointed out that the ban meant Smith did not have to attend the Oscars ceremony and deal with all the intricacies involved.

"He doesn’t have to dress up, he doesn’t have to sit through a bunch of boring awards that he doesn’t care about. He doesn’t have to pretend to be happy when he loses — I wish I could get banned from the Emmys! Every year I have to go and act like I might beat John Oliver. It’s a nightmare!" Noah continued. 

"I also think they should have at least consulted Chris Rock before choosing the punishment, you know?" he added. "Because if Will were still going to the Oscars, that’s at least four hours where Chris Rock knows where he is. Now, he could be anywhere."

Noah concluded that he thought the academy should not have banned Will Smith "at all."

"I think they should’ve hired Will Smith to replace the wrap-it-up music at awards shows," he said. "Do you know how quickly winners will finish their speeches when they see Will Smith watching them from the side of the stage?"

Following the Oscars attack, the academy's board of governors met to discuss a response to Smith's actions. The outcome of the meeting was revealed in a statement.

"The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage," the Academy said.

Responding to the news, Smith released a statement saying: "I accept and respect the Academy’s decision," according to NBC News.

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