The Most Shocking Moments in Oscars History

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When it comes to the Oscars, drama isn’t just a movie genre.

The Academy Awards has always had its share of drama and controversy, going all the way back to its beginnings nearly a century ago, and that includes more recently.

During the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith shocked everyone – both those in the Dolby Theatre and the millions watching at home – when he walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock. This happened after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature.

Smith angrily told the comedian to stop talking about his wife. The comedian responded by saying it was just a joke referencing the movie G.I. Jane.

Although Will Smith later apologized for his actions, the Academy banned him from attending their events for ten years, meaning he won’t be able to participate until 2032.

As you can imagine, that night was terrible,” Will Smith said in a December 2022 interview on The Daily Show. “It was a very complicated situation, but ultimately, I let my emotions get the best of me.” He had recently won the Best Actor award for his role in King Richard.

One of the most memorable moments at the Oscars in recent years happened in 2017 when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner. During his acceptance speech, the film’s producer, Jordan Horowitz, clarified that they had actually read the wrong envelope, revealing the error.

“I apologize, there was an error,” Horowitz announced to the audience, then proudly displayed the right envelope. “The winner for Best Picture is Moonlight!”

Beatty revealed he received the envelope revealing Emma Stone had won Best Actress for La La Land. This caused him to hesitate for about twenty seconds before announcing the winners, as he waited for the musical’s cast and crew to be called onstage.

He explained at the end of the award show, “I stared at Faye for so long because it wasn’t a joke. This is Moonlight, the film that won Best Picture.”

For more Oscars shockers throughout the years, read on.

During the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith unexpectedly slapped Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. Smith then angrily told Rock to stop mentioning his wife’s name.

Despite later winning an Academy Award for King Richard and publicly apologizing to the comedian, the Academy banned the actor from attending any of its events for ten years due to the incident.

Everyone remembers Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s stunning performance of “Shallow” at the Oscars, and their incredible chemistry sparked romance rumors for days afterward. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Lady Gaga finally addressed the speculation, admitting, “Yes, people saw love—and guess what—that’s what we wanted you to see! I guess we did a good job and fooled ya!”

The question of who would host the 2019 Oscars was a notable one. In December 2018, Kevin Hart initially announced he would take on the role, calling it a dream come true. However, just two days later, he decided to step down after old, controversial tweets from 2011 resurfaced. Hart explained his decision on Twitter, stating he didn’t want to overshadow the achievements of the talented artists being honored. He also apologized for insensitive remarks he had made in the past to the LGBTQ community.

During the 2017 Oscars, a mix-up occurred when La La Land was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture winner. Producer Jordan Horowitz quickly corrected the error, revealing that Moonlight was the true winner, creating one of the most talked-about moments in the award show’s history.

At the 2014 Oscars, John Travolta accidentally mispronounced Idina Menzel’s name while introducing her, calling her “Adele Dazeem.” It was a funny mistake! The pair playfully returned the favor a year later when Menzel introduced Travolta as “Glom Gazingo.”

During the 2013 Oscars, the actress from Silver Linings Playbook tripped and fell while walking on stage to accept her Best Actress award.

Everyone predicted that Brokeback Mountain would win Best Picture at the 2006 Academy Awards, especially since it had eight nominations. That’s why it was a shock when Paul Haggis accepted the award for Crash. In fact, Haggis himself later admitted that Crash wasn’t the most deserving film to win.

When Adrien Brody won the Best Actor Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards, he was incredibly emotional and passionately kissed presenter Halle Berry.

Björk’s gown from the 2001 Oscars is considered one of the most iconic dresses ever worn to the event. The Icelandic singer famously wore a swan-like creation designed by Marjan Pejoski.

 

At the 2014 Oscars, Ellen DeGeneres asked Bradley Cooper to take a group selfie with a star-studded cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o, and many others, resulting in a now-famous photo.

At the 2000 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Angelina Jolie kissed her brother, James Haven, on the lips. Earlier that evening, Jolie had won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Girl, Interrupted, and playfully mentioned being “so in love” with her brother during her acceptance speech. The moment even became a topic of humor on Saturday Night Live.

Going into the 1999 Academy Awards, Shakespeare in Love had 13 nominations, and Saving Private Ryan had 11. Despite this, many people were shocked when Shakespeare in Love actually won the most awards.

Everyone remembers when the singer wore this stunning Bob Mackie outfit to the 1986 Oscars – it instantly turned heads.

During the 1974 Academy Awards, host David Niven was surprised when someone ran naked across the stage.

It’s not surprising that Charlie Chaplin received a standing ovation, but the length of it was remarkable. When he returned to the U.S. after more than ten years to accept an honorary Oscar at the 1972 Academy Awards, the legendary comedian reportedly received applause for a full twelve minutes.

Sacheen Littlefeather accepted the 1973 award on behalf of Marlon Brando, and announced that he was declining it out of protest against the film industry’s depiction of Native Americans. He sent his deep regrets.

In 1969, the Best Actress award went to two incredible performers: Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand. Barbra Streisand graciously acknowledged the honor of sharing the award with Hepburn, saying she was thrilled to be recognized alongside such a talented actress.

The 2017 Best Picture error wasn’t the first time the Oscars had a mistake. Back in 1964, at the 36th Academy Awards, Sammy Davis Jr. received the wrong envelope while announcing the winner for Best Music Scoring (adaptation or treatment). He playfully quipped, “Wait ’til the NAACP hears about this!” before putting on his glasses and adding, “I’m not going to mess this up now.”

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2026-03-15 14:17