Will Smith congratulates Michael B Jordan on Oscars win... amid decade-long ban from ceremony for THAT slap

Will Smith was one of the people Michael B Jordan thanked during his shining Best Actor win at the 2026 Oscars on Sunday night and the A-lister reciprocated the recognition despite a decade-long ban from the ceremony.

Jordan, 39, recognized fellow Black Best Actor and Actress winners during his acceptance speech at the 98th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

He said: 'I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith.

'And to be amongst those giants, amongst those great greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys.'

Smith, 57, responded by taking to Instagram on Monday by sharing photos of the younger actor with his shiny new trophy with the simple caption: 'CONGRATS, Beloved. Makin' History!'

Back in April 2022, Smith was banned from the Oscars for 10 years for slapping Chris Rock but was allowed to keep his award for Best Actor.

At the time The Academy released a statement days after the 54-person Board of Governors met as part of it read: 'The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.'

The slap divided Hollywood and the public, with some insisting he should be stripped of his Oscar and not be rewarded for violence while others dismissed it and mocked it on social media.

Smith slapped Rock on-stage after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith's shaved head. Pinkett-Smith has been open in the past about her struggles with alopecia.

After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and screamed 'keep my wife's name out of your f*****g mouth.'

He then won the Oscar for Best Actor in his role as Richard Williams, in the film King Richard. He used his speech to apologize to the Academy and to Rock, and he later posted an apology on Instagram.

 Meanwhile, Jordan  shocked the world as he upset Timothee Chalamet to win Best Actor for Sinners which made for the most talked about moment of the night.

He beat the favorite Chalamet, who starred in Marty Supreme, as the field also included: Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon, and Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent.

Jordan was in disbelief as he walked up to the stage and was greeted by last year's winner, Adrien Brody.

He was tearful during his acceptance speech as he thanked the audience and voters by saying: 'Thank you everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it. 

'I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me, so thank you for keeping betting on me. And I'm going to keep stepping up and I'm going to keep being the best version of myself I can be.' 

Sinners is centered around two brothers who return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil - in the form of vampires - is waiting to welcome them back. 

Jordan portrayed both brothers in the film: the older, more serious twin, Elijah 'Smoke' Moore, and the younger, more cheerful sibling, Elias 'Stack' Moore.