Timothée Chalamet and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner reportedly walked out of the Oscars ceremony for over an hour after the actor was repeatedly mocked by host Conan O'Brien. The 30-year-old, who had been a frontrunner for the Best Actor award, lost to Michael B. Jordan for Sinners.
During the opening monologue, O'Brien joked about Chalamet's recent controversial comments that 'no-one cares' about ballet and opera. 'Security is extremely tight tonight. Just got to mention that, yeah, I’m told there’s concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities,' O'Brien said, prompting a smile from Chalamet. The host added, 'They’re just mad you left out jazz.' Later, O'Brien singled him out again, saying, 'We’re vibing, right?' before telling viewers, 'He doesn’t think so.'
A source told The Sun that Chalamet and Jenner were replaced by seat fillers for an hour. 'It seems like he had enough of being the butt of the jokes,' the source said. 'They only came back just before the best actress and best actor categories were announced.'
Chalamet also faced a jibe during a winner's speech. Alexandre Singh, who won Best Live Action Short Film for Two People Exchanging Saliva, took aim at Chalamet's earlier comments, declaring, 'We believe art can change people’s souls. Maybe it takes ten years, but we can change society through art, through creativity, through theatre and ballet – and cinema.'
Chalamet had previously tried to backtrack on his remarks, saying, 'I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason. All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.' However, he faced criticism from stars including Steven Spielberg, Doja Cat, and the Royal Ballet and Opera, with many noting the irony that his grandmother, mother, and sister were all members of the New York City Ballet.
