The 98th Academy Awards witnessed a surprising exit when Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner left the ceremony midway through, following Chalamet’s Best Actor nomination for his role in Marty Supreme. The awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 12, 2023. Their departure came after Michael B. Jordan won the award for his performance in Sinners, leading to speculation about the couple’s abrupt exit.
Eyewitnesses reported that Chalamet and Jenner, seated in prominent areas of the venue, disappeared during the announcement for the Best Animated Short category. Their absence was notable, as seat fillers quickly took their places to mask the gap. One insider revealed, “Timothée and Kylie disappeared during the Best Animated Short category and didn’t come back for ages. It was a huge gap basically most of the show.”
Chalamet arrived at the Oscars with significant buzz surrounding his film, which had garnered nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Josh Safdie. Despite high expectations, the night turned disappointing for him as the film walked away without any wins. Chalamet’s recent comments about the arts scene, referring to opera and ballet as no longer relevant, had also sparked controversy, potentially contributing to his discomfort at the event.
During the ceremony, host Conan O’Brien made light of the situation, addressing Chalamet directly with a quip about security concerns from the opera and ballet communities. “They are just mad you left out jazz!” he joked, highlighting the tension surrounding Chalamet’s recent remarks. This moment further underscored the atmosphere, as Chalamet’s response remained unreadable, capturing the attention of the audience.
The couple’s vanishing act raised eyebrows, particularly because nominees typically remain present throughout the ceremony. An insider noted, “People kept looking over expecting them to come back, but they just didn’t. It definitely raised eyebrows because nominees usually stay put.” The whispers in the theatre suggested that the evening’s events had taken a toll on the young star and his partner, who had initially appeared together on the red carpet.
While Chalamet faced the disappointment of not winning either the Best Actor or Best Picture categories, the Oscars were dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson‘s film, One Battle After Another, which secured six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor, while Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her role in Hamnet. Other notable wins included Amy Madigan for Best Supporting Actress in Weapons and the animated feature award going to KPop Demon Hunters.
As the night progressed without Chalamet and Jenner, it became clear that the couple’s exit would be remembered as one of the more unexpected moments of the evening, illustrating the pressures faced by young stars in the public eye.
