Truth behind Richard Gere’s Oscars ban is finally revealed – three decades after his wild on-stage rant

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Richard Gere was largely ignored by the Academy Awards for many years, and he’s now discussing how Hollywood subtly punished him for it.

The actor, now 75 and famous for “Pretty Woman,” wasn’t allowed to present at the Oscars for nearly 20 years. This was because he unexpectedly went off-script live on television during the 1993 ceremony.

Ian McKellen was asked to announce the winner for Best Art Direction, but instead of reading the nominees, he unexpectedly spoke out about the human rights situation in Tibet and China, delivering a heartfelt and urgent message.

Richard Gere, speaking to an audience of over a billion people globally, publicly asked Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to stop the mistreatment of people in Tibet.

His unexpected remarks earned applause in the room, but left Academy officials furious.

Bob Rehme, who was president of the Academy Awards (AMPAS) at the time, quickly criticized the individual, reminding everyone that the show was meant to be about entertainment, not global politics.

According to reports, producer Gil Cates didn’t think much of Richard Gere’s remarks about China, calling them arrogant and questioning who would even be interested in hearing them.

The consequences were immediate as Gere vanished from the Oscars presenters list.

For almost two decades, Richard Gere, who openly advocates for Tibetan independence, was subtly excluded from speaking opportunities, despite his films receiving Oscars and significant praise.

Despite the success of the 2002 film Chicago, which won Best Picture and received numerous awards, he was surprisingly not asked to give a speech at the ceremony.

Richard Gere didn’t present at the awards show again until 2013, nearly twenty years after his initial appearance. He rejoined the cast of the Chicago movie to announce the winners for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

Backstage, he playfully told HuffPost UK, ‘It looks like I’m back in their good graces. People seem to forget past disagreements if you stick around long enough.’

After over thirty years, Richard Gere finally shared his thoughts on the event and the unofficial ban that followed.

In a new interview with Variety this month, he insisted he never held a grudge.

I wasn’t really offended by it, and I don’t believe anyone was intentionally trying to cause trouble. I just do my own thing and never want to hurt anyone,” explained the father of three.

He explained that his activism, which stems from his close relationship with the Dalai Lama, has always been his guiding principle.

Richard Gere said he wants to fight against anger, discrimination, and violations of human rights. He believes everyone deserves a chance at redemption, and therefore doesn’t take negativity personally.

The Daily Mail has contacted Richard Gere’s spokesperson for a statement, but has not yet received a response.

Richard Gere, who has never received an Oscar nomination, suggested in 2017 that his strong criticism of China and support for Tibet may have led Hollywood studios to avoid working with him.

He explained to The Hollywood Reporter that certain movie roles are off-limits for him because of objections from the Chinese government. He recently faced a situation where funding for a film fell through specifically because he was involved, as it would have caused issues with Chinese stakeholders.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised to hear Richard Gere say he wasn’t worried about being banned from the Academy Awards. It’s well-known he’s already been permanently banned from China, and he just seemed so unfazed by it all. He really doesn’t seem to let these things bother him.

‘I didn’t have to put on a tuxedo again. I was fine with that,’ he quipped.

For many years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has maintained a list of individuals who have broken its rules of conduct.

Will Smith gained notoriety after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

Harvey Weinstein was also banned from the academy in 2017 after his slew sexual abuse allegations. 

As a longtime fan, it was truly heartbreaking to learn that Bill Cosby was permanently banned from attending the awards show back in 2018. The conviction for sexual assault was devastating, and the decision to bar him felt necessary, though still incredibly sad to process.

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel was banned from the Academy in 2021 for his history of sex crimes. 

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2025-12-10 00:49