More Hollywood hypocrisy: Why was Richard Gere banned from the Oscars far longer than slap-happy Will Smith?

Israel

That’s rich. Many movie fans were surprised to learn on Thursday that Richard Gere — nice, likable, “Pretty Woman” Richard Gere — once received a 20-year ban from attending the Oscars. Twenty years? Must have been very serious! What outrageous offense did the 76-year-old star commit to deserve being barred from the Academy Awards for 26% of his life? While presenting the award for art direction in 1993, Gere went off-script and gave a speech pretty much amounting to “Free Tibet.” The renegade