'Like a heart attack': Elton John Oscar party guests recall Oscar flub
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Elton John and husband David Furnish on Sunday celebrated the 25th anniversary of their annual Academy Awards viewing party, which this year raised $7 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. But it was the night's Oscar flub — where the wrong best picture winner was announced at the ceremony — that really had guests talking.
The room initially fell silent when the confusion over which film had won best picture unfolded on screen, but then erupted in baffled chatter. “Wow. Thank (expletive) we didn’t have Warren Beatty do the auction,” quipped John as he took the stage to introduce the live auction portion of the party.
Auction items included a 13.10 carat diamond Bulgari necklace and five days in Steven Tyler’s Hawaiian retreat. Musician John and Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, got into a bidding war over a Norman Seeff black and white print of Carly Simon which John won for $70,000. Other pledges for contributions came throughout the night from guests like Peter Fonda, Ciara and Russell Wilson and Adam Lambert.
As usual, a second wave of guests arrived around 10 p.m. PT, just in time for a musical performance by Alabama soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones. But for those who had just finished watching the live show, the night’s big snafu still lingered.
“It was like experiencing a heart attack,” Hidden Figures' Aldis Hodge said. He watched the best picture mix-up unfold from the audience of the Dolby Theatre. “We didn't know until some of the stage managers started running out. We were like, what was going on? Could there be security risk or something?”
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“It's really unfortunate,” continued the actor. “I'm proud of Moonlight. I'm happy they won. At the same time though, I don't think that anybody on the La La Land team deserves to feel that moment of loss. They handled it with such class and grace. I'm very proud to see that.”
Earlier in the night, John reflected on the legacy of his Oscars viewing party.
“I never thought we'd get to 25 years,” John said, looking dapper in a blue Burberry tuxedo. The fundraiser, which started out with a dinner for 140 people at Maple Drive restaurant, has to date raised more than $56 million for the cause. “It's grown from a little seed into a big tree,” John said.
The cause is as relevant as it was two decades ago. “HIV/AIDS continues to be a global issue,” said Furnish, dressed in Yves Saint Laurent. “We're making some fantastic strides but it's important that people are not marginalized in society and that everybody is treated equally and fairly. In our case it's access to testing and treatment and that's more important than anything.”
In a political climate that has left many unnerved, the EJAF benefit appeared more important to its longtime supporters than ever. “I feel like it's a good reminder to never be complacent, and that the fight is never fully over,” said Andrew Rannells, a member of the host committee. “Achievements can be wiped away very quickly these days, it seems like. So this is a great reminder that we always have to be diligent.”
While the cause was close to the heart of many attendees, guests were equally ready to take a break from a politically charged award season and instead spend an evening celebrating the arts over a five-course dinner prepared by chef Gordon Ramsay. “I’m so tired of politics, I just want to have some fun,” Andie MacDowell said as she entered.
Eric McCormack said what he most looks forward to is picking the night’s winners. “My favorite part of the night is when I go in with my wife, and we write our ballots. And we have that first cocktail of the night, and everyone tries to copy our answers. And we don't let them,” he teased.
Orange Is the New Black’s Laverne Cox also tabled politics for the night, instead engrossing herself in the ceremony, which could be seen on multiple screens around the extravagant tent in West Hollywood Park. “I love when wonderful actors are celebrated. I look forward to Viola Davis winning her first Oscar most,” Cox said.
Davis’ victory speech indeed brought tears to the eyes of guests around the room and the speech made on behalf of absentee best foreign language film winner Asghar Farhadi got a hearty round of applause.
Guests that mingled at the fete included Sting and Trudie Styler, Caitlyn Jenner, John’s table mates Sharon Stone and Smokey Robinson, Victoria’s Secret models Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Josephine Skriver, and actresses Freida Pinto and Michelle Dockery.
