Kevin O'Leary, the entrepreneur and 'Shark Tank' star who made his acting debut in 'Marty Supreme', lost a $1,000 (£752) last-minute bet on Timothée Chalamet winning the Best Actor Oscar. Chalamet was considered a frontrunner but ultimately lost to another actor on Hollywood's biggest night.
O'Leary, 71, placed the bet on sports betting site Kalshi just before the ceremony, telling Variety on the red carpet: 'I just put 1000 bucks on Kalshi walking in here that he's going to win.' He described Chalamet as 'a really great guy' and defended him against recent backlash over comments about opera and ballet.
Chalamet's campaign suffered after he said 'no one cares about' opera and ballet during a town hall, sparking criticism from figures like Misty Copeland and Steven Spielberg. O'Leary argued the controversy wouldn't affect Oscar voting, noting: 'I know the voting stops long before that controversy happened.'
The incident was lampooned by host Conan O'Brien, who joked about attacks from 'both the opera and ballet communities'. Chalamet appeared to laugh off the joke alongside his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. O'Leary remains convinced of Chalamet's talent, calling him 'a great kid' who 'took a bum rap'.
