Sunday night’s Oscars housed no shortage of political statements.
As “Anora” won big, leading lady Mikey Madison spoke out in support of sex workers, while the best documentary winners for “No Other Land” begged the world for peace and understanding amid the Israel-Hamas war. Best actor winner Adrien Brody echoed a call for peace in his acceptance speech.
In another impromptu statement, “Kill Bill” star Daryl Hannah called out “Slava Ukraine,” as she took the stage to present the award for best editing. The pronouncement, which translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” comes as the United States has threatened to withdraw its support for the eastern European nation in its battle with Russia.
President Donald Trump, long a critic of his predecessor Joe Biden’s stalwart support of Ukraine, held a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday. The exchange, caught on tape, sees Trump and Vice President JD Vance badgering Zelenskyy about his leadership and alleged failure to thank the United States enough for its ongoing support.
Conan O’Brien gets political with Trump dig during Oscars
Hannah’s comments were not the only allusion to the war throughout the night. In one of his few political quips, host Conan O’Brien joked that “Anora,” which follows a New York sex worker’s fling with a Russian oligarch’s son, was a change for Americans to “see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian.”
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The dig was seemingly directed at the Trump administration’s relaxation of relations with Russia, a longtime diplomatic foe, and decision to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, the country’s leader, for an end to the war in Ukraine, upending a post-World War II European order.