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Oscar winner and retired NBA star Kobe Bryant denied entry into Film Academy
The sports icon recently won an Oscar in February for his short film 'Dear Basketball'
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Your support makes all the difference.Recent Oscar winner and former NBA star Kobe Bryant has had his invite to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revoked - despite winning an Oscar for his animated short film Dear Basketball.
Despite being recommended for entry by the executive committee of the Academy's Short Film and Feature Animation branch, his name was removed after a second committee - the Governors Committee of the Academy - reviewed a list of potential new members.
The board apparently felt that Bryant needed "some evidence of a larger career" to merit membership because Dear Basketball was his first filmmaking project, reports Cartoon Brew.
The Short Film and Feature Animation branch will not appeal the Academy's decision to admit Bryant.
While new filmmakers are considered for membership, not all who are early in their careers are granted entry to the Academy.
The 39-year-old basketball legend's nomination and win earlier this year were divisive alongside the brewing #MeToo movement and the crackdown on sexual misconduct.
In 2003, Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman, but the case was dismissed one year later when the accuser wouldn't testify.
A civil suit was later filed by the accuser, and Bryant settled the case outside of court.
While he was cleared of the charges, Bryant issued an apology without admittance of guilt saying that "although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognise now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did."
Although Bryant hasn't been accepted into the Film Academy yet, he's already working on his next movie projects through his company Kobe Inc.
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