Topics: Celebrity, US News, Oscars, TV And Film
Conan O'Brien has landed himself in hot water tonight by making an allegedly ill-placed joke about two female celebrities.
The comedian made his Oscar-hosting debut at this evening's (2 Mar) 97th Academy Awards.
The live television stint was never going to be easy for the 61-year-old - especially considering the notoriously strict rules producers reportedly place upon presenters and winners regarding what they can and cannot say.
In the face of the guidelines, however, O'Brien seemingly spat tonight, by making a jumper of widely controversial jokes - including one about Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb that has been branded 'disgusting'.
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The lead host welcomed the huge-name pair onto the stage, where they themselves were scheduled to an award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, which was subsequently won by The Substance.
Prior to welcoming actresses Johansson, 40, and Squibb, 95, however, O'Brien described the duo as his two 'hall passes'.
For those out of the loop, a 'hall pass' describes a chosen individual that your other-half has to give you permission to be intimate with.
As we say, however, the joke didn't go down too well with a large number of viewers watching from home, with several slamming the presenter for his supposedly sexist remark.
"Conan double doink with the hall pass bit. next," one hit out on X (formerly Twitter) afterwards.
Another wrote: "Ugh i hate a hall pass joke."
"Hall pass joke in 2025," a third slammed.
Another continued: "'Hall pass' is such a disgusting concept and to so casually use it as well yuck."
"Hall pass joke not funny didn’t laugh," a fifth claimed.
Another continued: "Ew introducing 2 women as your "hall pass" Conan I knew you'll f**k up."
"The hall passes joke felt disrespectful idk," added another.
One went on to say: "please welcome my two hall passes" is fuckin crazy man LOL"
As we say, this wasn't the only joke made by O'Brien that rubbed viewers up the wrong way.
The comic subsequently left viewers in a state of shock by poking fun at the controversial, ongoing feud between rap stars Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
O'Brien's jibe came just weeks following Lamar's infamous Super Bowl performance earlier this month (9 Feb), where he performed a number of his biggest hits during the half-time break, including his 'diss track' of Drake.
The single - titled 'Not Like Us' - previously sparked a highly publicised lawsuit, with Drake subsequently suing Universal Music Group for both defamation and harassment.
Conan O'Brien at the #Oscars: "Well, we're halfway through the show, which means it's time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile." pic.twitter.com/KmbX3QjnlM
— Variety (@Variety) March 3, 2025
The musician's lawyers accused the record label at the time of launching a 'campaign to create a viral hit', with Lamar describing Drake as a 'certified paedophile' in the track - a claim that he has continuously denied.
Naturally, therefore, viewers of this year's Oscars mightn't have expected to hear a reference to their A-list beef on live television.
Speaking on the show, however, O'Brien initiated a joke: "Well, we're half-way through the show.
"Which means it's time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a 'paedophile'."
After being met with gasps from attendees, he later quipped: "Don't worry - I'm lawyered up. Anyway!"
