It started badly and never really improved. By the time the 98th Academy Awards wrapped up, Timothée Chalamet had endured one of the more uncomfortable evenings in recent Oscars memory.
The actor had been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Marty Supreme — but the award went to Michael B. Jordan for Sinners.
That disappointment came on top of a controversy that had already been following him into the room.
In a recent interview with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey, Chalamet had said: ‘I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it’s like, “Keep this thing alive even though no-one cares about this any more”.’
He later attempted to walk the comments back, adding: ‘All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.’
It didn’t stop the jokes. Host Conan O’Brien opened his monologue by referencing reports of heightened security at the ceremony — before claiming it was actually down to ‘concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities’ following Chalamet’s remarks. The 62-year-old comedian added: ‘They’re just mad you left out jazz.’
O’Brien also warned the crowd: ‘Tonight could get political. And if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars hosted by Kid Rock. It’s at the Dave and Buster’s down the street.’
Chalamet wasn’t only in O’Brien’s sights. Alexandre Singh, collecting the award for Live Action Short Film, used his speech to take a pointed swipe, telling the audience: ‘That is why we make films, isn’t it? Because we believe that art can change people’s souls. Maybe it takes 10 years time, but we can change society through art, through creativity, through theatre and ballet.’
The crowd cheered.
Later, a star-studded performance of the Sinners track I Lied to You closed with acclaimed dancer Misty Copeland taking centre stage — a moment widely read as a deliberate celebration of the art forms at the heart of the row.
Away from the stage, Chalamet had arrived on the red carpet solo, wearing an all-white suit by British designer Sarah Burton for Givenchy, paired with black sunglasses. Girlfriend Kylie Jenner was absent from the carpet, though she did attend the ceremony, wearing a red figure-hugging Schiaparelli dress with a plunging neckline.
Things between the pair appeared tense during the evening. In a behind-the-scenes clip circulated online, the couple were seen sitting in the front row when Chalamet turned to an unseen individual and mimicked shooting them with his fingers. He then turned back to Jenner.
Lipreader Nicola Hickling claimed Jenner, rolling her eyes, told him: ‘Now you’re being a child, so shut up.’
A separate clip also went viral after Chalamet’s sister Pauline approached him and Jenner appeared to reach out for a hug from nearby. Viewers were quick to comment on what many described as a frosty exchange.
‘Looks like she’s never met her before in her life… This is what a PR relationship looks like,’ one person wrote online. Another added: ‘The awkwardness between them!’
Hickling also claimed to have read Chalamet’s lips as he whispered to Pauline ahead of the exchange, apparently saying: ‘Could you go easy on her?’ When his sister responded ‘Okay,’ he reportedly repeated himself: ‘I want you to go easy on her.’
In another moment flagged by Hickling, Jenner was seen chatting with actress Elle Fanning. According to the lipreader, Jenner turned to Fanning and asked: ‘Don’t you think he’s gone a bit cold?’ Fanning, apparently fidgeting with her necklace, replied: ‘I didn’t notice.’
