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Two-time Academy- Award winner Emma Stone was accused of being racist while receiving her award from Michelle Yeoh during the 2024 Oscars ceremony. However, Yeoh took to Instagram on Monday, March 11, to clarify the awkward award handover.
While receiving the Academy Award for Best Actress during the Oscars on March 10, Emma Stone grabbed her trophy from last year's winner Michelle Yeoh, who did not let go of the award. Instead, the two awkwardly maneuvered towards fellow actress Jennifer Lawrence, who finally handed the trophy to Stone.
Following a backlash on social media against Emma, Yeoh dedicated an Instagram post to the Poor Things actress and clarified:
"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 allegations against Stone have been similar to those against Best Supporting Actor winner Robert Downey Jr., who seemed to rebuff past winner Ke Huy Quan while receiving his award on the Oscar stage.
The Emma Stone-Michelle Yeoh drama
Emma Stone's actions onstage with Michelle Yeoh were misconstrued by some viewers as being "racist." Her decision to not share a hug with Yeoh and embrace Jennifer Lawrence instead was seen as Stone rebuffing the Everything Everywhere All At Once actress. Many fans went on X to express their reactions:
But Michelle Yeoh quickly took to Instagram to clarify the awkward moment. Posting pictures of herself with Emma Stone from the night, she wrote:
"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!! She reminded me of my Bae Jamie Lee Curtis." She added, "Always there for each other!!"
Fans were quick to reject the "racist" allegations against Emma Stone, referencing Yeoh's post. Taking to X, they defended Stone:
The Robert Downey Jr. and Ke Huy Quan controversy
In a scene that almost mirrored the Emma Stone incident, Robert Downey Jr. also faced allegations of racism. After he received his Best Supporting Actor trophy for Oppenheimer from Loki actor Ke Huy Quan, Downey Jr. did not share a hug with the actor. Instead, he shook hands with Tim Robbins and gave a fist bump to Sam Rockwell, who were both present on stage beside Quan.
Fans did not receive Downey Jr.'s actions positively, with some comparing it to the Taylor Swift-Celine Dion incident at the Grammys last month. They took to X to accuse the actor of being racist and a "prick":
Neither Robert Downey Jr. nor Ke Huy Quan have issued statements to clarify the situation. That latter won the Best Supporting Actor in 2023 for his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, while Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for the same film. Emma Stone won Best Actress for Poor Things at the 2024 Oscars while Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor.
Meanwhile, Cillian Murphy won the Best Actor award for Oppenhiemer and Da'Vine Joy Randolph took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Holdovers.
