The broken zipper and exposed lining of Emma Stone’s custom mermaid-inspired Louis Vuitton dress at the 2024 Oscars wasn’t the only element that piqued the internet’s interest during her acceptance speech for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’.
There was the Taylor Swift reference sweetly snuck in when Stone referenced her daughter, of course, but also the flurry surrounding the former Academy Award winners who read out the nominees and honoured each recipient with a toast to their craft and character. (For those not across Oscar lore, Stone received her second Oscar for her performance in Poor Things, beating out the likes of Lily Gladstone (Killers Of The Flower Moon), Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy Of A Fall) and Annette Benning (Nyad).)
Yet, when the moment came for Stone to ascend the Dolby Theatre stage and collect the prestigious statue, confusion erupted as Michelle Yeoh (who announced the winner) handed the gilded prize over to Jennifer Lawrence instead of Stone. Given the fact The Curse actress was visibly overwhelmed, the otherwise unnoticeable gesture from Yeoh to have Stone receive the award from one of her best friends became a token of conversation.
“Emma Stone passed award presenter Michelle Yeoh, and Jennifer Lawrence handed her the award as if she were the presenter herself,” one social media user speculated about the exchange. However, unlike Taylor Swift “snubbing” Celine Dion at the Grammys, the actresses quickly shut down theories before they ran rampant.
Taking to social media to address the feat, Yeoh congratulated Stone and clarified why she didn’t hand her the Oscar herself. “Congratulations Emma!! I confused you, but I wanted to share that glorious moment of handing over Oscar to you together with your best friend Jennifer!!” the 61-year-old wrote. “She reminded me of my Bae Jamie Lee Curtis ♥ ️✨ always there for each other!! 😘😘😘,” the Balenciaga ambassador added.
Bickering over the semantics of women at the literal top of their field does feel slightly redundant, we’re pleased to see the literal leading ladies handle the backlash with grace. But what’s showbiz without a bit of drama, right?
Watch Emma Stone accept the Oscar for ‘Best Actress’ at the 2024 Academy Awards here and below:
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.