Originally appeared on E! Online
When it comes to the Oscars, drama isn’t just a movie genre.
After all, the Academy Awards has seen its fair share of controversies, and pearl-clutching moments, since its inception almost a century ago—including in recent years.
Take 2022 ceremony, when Will Smith left the entire audience inside Dolby Theatre—not to mention the millions of viewers at home—stunned by storming the stage and slapping Chris Rock over a dig at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head during the presentation for Best Documentary Feature.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth,” Smith told the comedian, who retorted, “Dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke.”
Though the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum eventually apologized for his violent outburst, he was slapped (this time metaphorically) with a 10-year ban by the Academy that barred him from attending any of their events until 2032.
“That was a horrific night as you can imagine,” Smith—who ended up winning Best Actor for his performance in King Richard shortly after the slap—recalled during a December 2022 appearance on The Daily Show. “There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I lost it.”
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Another headline-making Oscar moment in recent years? When Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner at the 2017 ceremony, only for the movie’s producer Jordan Horowitz to reveal during his acceptance speech that the wrong envelope was read.
“There’s a mistake,” Horowitz told the crowd, before holding up the correct envelope with the winner’s name. “Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture.”
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Beatty later explained that he had been given the envelope announcing La La Land star Emma Stone‘s Best Actress win, leading him to take a 20-second pause before the cast and crew of musical were called up to the stage.
“That’s why I took such a long look at Faye,” he explained at the end of the award show. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. This is Moonlight, the Best Picture.”
For more Oscars shockers throughout the years, read on.
Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock
Will Smith shocked viewers everywhere at the 2022 Oscars when he slapped Chris Rock for making a dig about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s hair, issuing a stern warning after returning to his seat: “Keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth!”
And though the actor would later return to the stage to collect an Academy Award for his performance in King Richard—and offered up an apology to the comedian the following day—the Academy issued him a 10-year ban from all their events for the debacle.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s Chemistry Sets the Oscars on Fire
The stars of A Star Is Born unforgettably took the stage to perform the Oscar-nominated (and ultimately winning) “Shallow,” though it was their chemistry that had people speculating for days after. “Yes, people saw love and—guess what—that’s what we wanted you to see,” Lady Gaga told Jimmy Kimmel, setting the record straight once and for all about her relationship status with Bradley Cooper. “I guess we did a good job and fooled ya!”
Kevin Hart Backs Out of Hosting
To host or not to host: That is the question. In December 2018, Kevin Hart announced on Twitter that he would be hosting the 2019 show. He called it the “opportunity of a lifetime” and that he was “blown away” by the honors. Two days later, the comedian stepped down as the host after facing backlash over resurfaced tweets from 2011. “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists,” he tweeted in December 2018. “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”
La La Land Is Accidentally Named Best Picture in Epic Flub
After La La Land was pronounced the Best Picture winner at the 2017 Oscars, producer Jordan Horowitz revealed that Moonlight was the actual victor—making the incident one of the most memorable in Oscar history.
John Travolta Mispronounces Idina Menzel’s Name
John Travolta suffered a bit of a malapropism while introducing Frozen‘s Idina Menzel to the stage at the 2014 Oscars. Instead of saying her actual name, he called her Adele Dazeem. Oops? The duo reunited a year later and she reciprocated the honors by naming him Glom Gazingo.
Jennifer Lawrence Falls After Winning Best Actress
While taking the stage to accept the award for Best Actress at the 2013 Oscars, the Silver Linings Playbook star stumbled and fell to the ground.
Crash Wins Best Picture Over Brokeback Mountain
With eight nominations, Brokeback Mountain was expected to take home the big prize at the 2006 Academy Awards. So, viewers were surprised when Paul Haggis took the stage to accept the Best Picture Oscar for Crash. Even Haggis later said the drama didn’t deserve Best Picture.
Adrien Brody Shockingly Kisses Halle Berry
After he won the Oscar for Best Actor at the 2003 Annual Academy Awards, Brody was so overcome with emotion that he planted a giant kiss on presenter Berry.
Björk Wears Swan Dress on the Red Carpet
Björk’s 2001 dress is one of the most memorable in Oscars history. The Icelandic singer-songwriter wore a dress that looked like a swan by Marjan Pejoski.
The Oscars Selfie Seen Around the World
Handing her phone to Bradley Cooper to do the now-infamous honors of taking a star-studded selfie at the 2014 Oscars, Ellen DeGeneres got Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Lupita Nyong’o and more to pose for one epic pic.
Angelina Jolie Kisses Her Brother
Angelina Jolie planted a giant peck on her brother James Haven‘s lips at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2000. The actress won the Best Supporting Actress award for Girl, Interrupted earlier in the night and said she was “so in love” with her brother during her acceptance speech. Saturday Night Live even joked about the moment on its show.
Shakespeare in Love Wins Over Saving Private Ryan
Shakespeare in Love entered the 1999 Academy Awards with 13 nominations while Saving Private Ryan went in with 11. Still, many were surprised when Shakespeare in Love ended up being the big winner.
Cher Wears a Headdress
The singer caught everyone’s attention when she showed up to the 1986 Academy Awards in this now-unforgettable Bob Mackie ensemble.
Streaker Storms the Stage
Host David Niven got a bit of a shock after a streaker ran across the stage at the 1974 Academy Awards.
Charlie Chaplin Receives 12-Minute Standing Ovation
While the idea of Charlie Chaplin receiving a standing ovation isn’t surprising, the duration of the round of applause is. After he returned to the U.S. for the first time in over a decade to receive an honorary Oscar at the 1972 awards, the comedy legend reportedly received a 12-minute standing ovation.
Marlon Brando Refuses to Accept Best Actor Award
Sacheen Littlefeather, who attended the 1973 ceremony on Brando’s behalf, announced that the Godfather star “very regretfully” could not accept the award in protest of the film industry’s treatment of Native Americans.
Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn Both Win Best Actress
In 1969, there were not one but two Best Actress winners: Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand. While Hepburn wasn’t there to accept her award, Streisand said she was “very honored to be in such magnificent company as Katharine Hepburn.”
Sammy Davis Jr. Announces the Wrong Winner
The 2017 Best Picture mishap isn’t the only Oscar mixup. Sammy Davis Jr. received the wrong envelope and read the incorrect name for the winner of Scoring of Music (adaptation or treatment) at the 36th Academy Awards in 1964. “Wait ’til the NAACP hears about this,” he said. He then put on his glasses and joked, “I ain’t gonna make no mistake this time.”
Watch the Oscars 2026 Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
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