What You Didn't See On TV At The 2019 Oscars
The 91st Academy Awards definitely shook things up, and it had to. According to TIME, the previous year's Oscar broadcast saw its lowest TV ratings in 44 years. This time around, the three-hour snoozefest was a little less sleepy, if only for Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's steamy performance, which was conveniently saved until the very end because let's be real, who was watching for anything else? With no host and little more than a Queen song to kick things off, the ceremony ended up having more milestones than ever (which was especially welcome after the Kevin Hart debacle).
According to Vox, Black Panther's team made history when Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler became the "second and third black women" to win non-acting Oscars — for best costume design and best production design, respectively. Beachler was also the first black woman ever nominated in her category, and for the first time, three of the four acting categories went to women of color. In addition, Rami Malek became the first Arab American to win best actor, and that's just some of what happened during the telecast. Off-camera was a whole different story. From hosting drama to baby mamas, here's what you didn't see on TV at the 2019 Oscars.
Kevin Hart gave up his hosting duties
In December 2018, Kevin Hart announced that he was hosting the 91st Academy Awards, but he later landed in hot water after years-old, homophobic tweets resurfaced in the press. According to People, the star also came under fire for homophobic jokes made during his 2010 comedy special Seriously Funny. The Academy was reportedly looking for an apology, but Hart wouldn't give one, explaining that he'd already addressed those controversial comments "several times" in the past and he's in a "completely different space" in his life. Instead, the actor chose to step down from his hosting gig, which he had previously claimed was the "opportunity of a lifetime."
"...I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," he tweeted, adding, "I'm sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again."
The Oscars forged on without a host, though Saturday Night Live alums Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph helped open the ceremony, trying out the jokes they'd get to do if they were actually the real-life hosts. Maybe next year, ladies!
The Academy struggled to find a host
After Kevin Hart relinquished his hosting duties, the Academy was put in a tough position. It needed a new host, but no one seemed to bite. After about a month, Vanity Fair proclaimed the search had "no end in sight." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy was perhaps a little pickier than it should have been. It seems like the institution knew more about what it didn't want then what it actually did, reportedly nixing any candidate who was considered "socially divisive," which means the likes of Chris Rock, RuPaul, or Sarah Silverman would be out. The Oscars supposedly didn't want anyone who attracted older audiences, so count out David Letterman, Steve Martin, and Billy Crystal. Because the award show would air on ABC, that also reportedly eliminated big names associated with another network, and, of course, you don't want to tap a host who's already hosted another awards show recently. Other celebs, including Jerry Seinfeld, Justin Timberlake, and Melissa McCarthy, have reportedly declared they would not host the Oscars — though McCarthy did wear an epic costume to present an award at the 2019 show.
According to TMZ, it wasn't just the Academy's tight restrictions that made finding a host near-impossible. The role reportedly doesn't pay well. In 2017, Kimmel claimed he was only paid $15,000 for the big gig. That's chump change when you're used to making millions.
A curious Kevin Hart statue popped up outside the Dolby Theatre
The Academy might have been trying to avoid a socially divisive host, but the big day kicked off with a very socially divisive prank. The morning of the 2019 Oscars, a Kevin Hart statue waving a rainbow flag appeared near the awards ceremony venue. According to Deadline, the award for best prank goes to Los Angeles-based street artist Plastic Jesus. He reportedly painted the statue gold to mimic the look of an actual Oscar and picked the LGBTQ flag to make a point about Hart's controversial comments. The words "Hollow Apology" were etched into a plaque on the statue's base.
In a since-deleted Instagram post (via Deadline), the artist wrote: "Over the past decades most countries have made great inroads fighting homophobia and hate, however the current divisive rhetoric seems to have taken us back to the 1970's. So much of the Entertainment industry output comes from LGBTQ Individuals we should be celebrating it and not creating a hateful environment."
This isn't the first time Plastic Jesus has made a political statement. His past work includes a life-sized Oscar statue with a heroin needle (commentary on Philip Seymour Hoffman's death in 2014) and a small, barbed wire wall around Donald Trump's Walk of Fame star (commentary on Trump's proposed border wall).
Emma Stone was feeling the girl power
While Emma Stone might not have been named the best supporting actress at the 2019 Oscars, she's certainly one of the best supportive actresses. Unlike her wildly competitive role in The Favourite, Stone wasn't gunning to be anyone's top dog on the night of the Academy Awards. She walked the red carpet alone (in a gorgeous Louis Vuitton gown that reminded us vaguely of burnt waffles) and was totally feeling the girl power.
Stone, who was nominated for best supporting actress, ended up lending support to one of her fellow nominees (and it wasn't her co-star Rachel Weisz, who she's probably pretty used to competing against at this point). In an Instagram post, Roma star Marina de Tavira revealed that Stone had sent her an adorable, handwritten note ahead of the ceremony. "Congratulations," Stone wrote to the first-time nominee. "It's a huge honor to be nominated alongside you. Have an incredible night!! XOX, Emma Stone."
De Tavira said the note was an "incredible way to start the day." (We'd be saying the same thing if Stone literally said anything to us.) Though neither one of these ladies wound up winning the Oscar, they remain prime examples of women supporting women. By the way, the incomparable Regina King took home the award for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk.
Krysten Ritter revealed her pregnancy pre-show
Krysten Ritter recently suffered a major blow. Her superhero series Jessica Jones was cancelled by Netflix, though it's unclear if the move was a major signal that Disney is going to pick up the Marvel series for its new streaming service, Disney+. Nonetheless, the star probably isn't sweating it right now because she's got plenty to be happy about. According to People, Ritter debuted her baby bump on the Oscars red carpet.
Ritter nabbed presenting duties at the 2019 ceremony, which she attended with her boyfriend (and War on Drugs frontman) Adam Granduciel, but the big reveal took place ahead of the awards show. The actress stunned in a form-fitting, red lace gown and posed for some selfies once she made it inside the Dolby Theatre. This will be the first child for the 37-year-old actress, who is set to star in the upcoming film Fuddy Meers alongside her Jessica Jones co-star David Tennant.
Lady Gaga's necklace was worth how much?
Lady Gaga walked the Oscars red carpet alone after breaking off her engagement to talent agent Christian Carino, but was she actually alone with a rock like that? Diamonds really are a girl's best friend, and no one proved it better than the A Star Is Born star, who traded her pink diamond ring for a 128.54 carat stunner.
According to W, Gaga's Tiffany & Co diamond necklace is priceless, but if you had to fetch money for it on the street, you could get about $30 million. Yes, $30 million. The yellow rock reportedly dates back to 1877, when it was first discovered in South Africa and sold to Charles Lewis Tiffany for $18,000 (around $431,500 today). This was the diamond's first red carpet appearance. It was last worn by Audrey Hepburn in 1962 for her Breakfast at Tiffany's publicity posters. Before that, it was worn at the 1957 Tiffany Ball by Mrs. Sheldon Whitehouse.
The Tiffany diamond wasn't the only shiny thing Gaga got her hands on that night. The star won her first Oscar for best original song, which surprised absolutely no one who's left their house since A Star Is Born came to theaters ("Shallow" is pretty much on a constant loop in every grocery store, gas station and shopping mall in America). The best news is that she won't have to return her award when she's done wearing it.
What the heck did Brian May lose under his seat?
Queen guitarist Brian May had a big night at the Oscars. He was already feeling himself so hard before the ceremony that he wore a Bohemian Rhapsody shirt for a pre-awards show workout. If that's not a way to get pumped, what is? Bohemian Rhapsody took home the Oscar for best sound editing, sound mixing, and film editing. Rami Malek, who starred as the band's iconic frontman, Freddie Mercury, also nabbed the award for best leading actor. The picture brought in more awards than Roma and Black Panther – two of the night's biggest winners.
Though May undoubtedly has some shiny new trophies to look at, he is missing something. We're just not sure what that something is. THR reporter Chris Gardner spotted the guitarist searching for something under his seat as the Oscars were clearing out. He reportedly was "on his knees" looking and didn't find whatever it was he lost. Was it his phone? Maybe a contact? What about a bobby pin for that iconic hair? He reportedly had three people, including his wife, Anita Dobson, searching for the mystery item.
Wolfgang Puck sent that leftover caviar to the homeless
Most of us wrap up a night out with a run through the Taco Bell drive thru and some shame. That's not the case for A-listers lucky enough to be invited to the Oscars after party. The post-awards show bash has some of the most expensive ingredients in the world on the menu. (Whether or not that beats out a Cheesy Gordita Crunch with a Cool Ranch shell is still totally up for debate.)
According to Food & Wine, the after-party planned to serve "15 kilos of caviar, 35 pounds of black truffles from Burgundy, and 240 kilos of Miyazaki wagyu beef." Hello reports that celebs already dined during the ceremony on pizza, spicy tuna tartare in sesame miso cones, chicken pot pie, crab deviled eggs, spicy ranch popcorn, and crostinis with New York Steak and chimichurri. For desert, guests got a variety of cookies, macarons, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a chocolate Oscar dusted in 24 carat gold (plus, plenty of vegan options such as red velvet whoopie pies). Though it seems impossible that anyone could still be hungry after the show, the inevitable leftovers weren't wasted.
Unlike designer brands that have come under scrutiny for burning unsold clothing (hello, Burberry), Wolfgang Puck reportedly sends his leftovers to Chefs to End Hunger. The nonprofit arm of the celebrity caterer distributes food to various food banks and missions around Southern California.
The six-figure gift bags included therapy
As if celebrities already don't have enough stuff and enough money to buy that stuff, some of the gift bags created for the 2019 Oscars were both free and worth a whole lot. Though not the official bag of the awards show (they weren't even handed out on site), Distinctive Assets' take-home totes were reportedly given to nominees in the directing and acting categories prior to the event, and the collection of swag inside might be the most random to date — and so unbelievably L.A.
According to The Guardian, the goodie bags were valued in the "six-figure range" and included a variety of beauty serums and treatments. This year was weed-focused, thanks to California legalizing marijuana. The bags reportedly included Cannabis-infused skincare, a "membership to a pot-friendly Hollywood social club," and a gift box of edibles and lotions (to break out when an award with no host gets painfully boring and you want to fully appreciate Wolfgang Puck's catering). The gifts also included a silent breast pump, 15 pairs of false eyelashes, a poop emoji plunger, dental floss, a "spy pen" (probably the least welcomed gift in a town plagued by paps), and "therapy sessions with a phobia expert" (for when you find out someone has used the spy pen on you).
Rami Malek took a dive
Rami Malek opened his acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Leading Role by thanking his mother and late father, and calling his win "a monumental moment." He took home the Oscar for his transformative performance as Freddie Mercury of Queen in the band's biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. And true to form of the legendary showman, Malek capped off his acceptance speech with a stage dive, albeit an unintentional one.
According to Cosmopolitan, Malek "fell off the stage" after giving his speech, but the tumble "wasn't shown during the ceremony." The newly-minted Academy Award winner was then checked out by "a medic," who gave him the all-clear. As if to indicate he hadn't seriously harmed himself, Malek allegedly "[pulled] a funny face, kiss[ed] the nice medic on the cheek, [and was] sent on his way."
The New York Daily News additionally reported that Malek "was able to speak with reporters backstage after besting Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Viggo Mortensen and Willem Dafoe in the star-laden category," where he celebrated Mercury's profile an example of the kind of non-traditional storytelling that audiences are "longing for."
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper got two standing ovations
The presenters at this year's Oscars stressed the fact that every single category would actually air on TV instead of announcing winners during commercial breaks. This came after some backlash when the Academy announced that it planned to shorten the ceremony by giving out the awards for best cinematography, film editing, short films, and makeup/hairstyling during commercial breaks. According to Reuters, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Meryl Streep and more than 300 other Hollywood A-listers signed an open letter criticizing the move, which was then scrapped.
That's not to say nothing happened during the commercials. Oscars guests had the pleasure of giving Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper not one but two standing ovations for their ultra-steamy performance of "Shallow." Chris Gardner, a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter who was at the ceremony, described the reportedly unprecedented ovation in a tweet. "During break, they came back to their seats from stage then audience gave them another standing o. I've never seen that happen for any performers. Cue embrace #Oscars." (Honestly, we'd keep clapping from our couches, too, but it's getting kind of hard to eat our Hot Cheetos without any hands.)