“One Battle After Another” star Teyana Taylor got into an argument with a man who she claims pushed her at the Oscars ceremony. In the video that went viral, the Best Supporting Actress nominee can be seen scolding a man in the crowd.
In the video, she says, “You’re a man who’s putting his hands on women,” and then repeatedly tells the man he’s “so rude.” She told the person next to her, “He literally shoved me,” and another woman, “He almost shoved me.”
“We’re all having a good time. But when you push me, it’s a different story,” Taylor explained to the woman next to him. “Don’t touch me, don’t push me.”
Variety spoke to a person who witnessed the altercation. The incident occurred after One Battle After Another won the Best Picture Oscar and involved Warner Bros. filmmakers Pam Abdi and Mike DeLuca. Rather than going upstairs for a group photo, photos of the cast and crew were scheduled to be taken on the Oscars stage.
A source said, “Pam Abdi and Mike DeLuca were having a hard time getting on stage, so Teyana came down to get Pam and when she tried to get back on stage, there was a security guard who forcibly stopped her from getting back on stage and put a hand on Teyana.” An official explained, “The man watched her walk down and when they tried to get up, he forcefully tried to stop her.” That’s when Taylor got angry. The source added that the security guard said, “‘You owe me an apology,’ which made her even more angry.”
In a statement obtained by Variety, Security Industry Specialists said, “During last night’s show, there was a brief interaction involving Ms. Taylor and a member of our security team. Our security personnel were in charge of the crowded area and made sure all guests were safe. “We regret that there was an accidental contact during that interaction and the situation escalated. This did not meet the standards of professionalism we expect from our team, and we have addressed the matter internally to ensure this situation never occurs again.”
TMZ spoke with Taylor later in the evening, who explained that the man was a security guard but that the situation was “okay.”
“Security worked really hard,” she said. “Things like that happen all the time, but I’m totally fine. I’m happy. There’s nothing to wonder about. The first thing people do is definitely make assumptions. But at the end of the day, I don’t tolerate disrespect, especially when it’s unwarranted and unfounded.”
The Academy said in a statement: “We were deeply disturbed to learn of what Teyana Taylor endured at the end of last night’s Oscar ceremony.” “We have been working with Teyana over the past few months during awards season and she has been amazing, supportive, kind and community-minded. Everyone’s experience is our responsibility. We have made it clear to them that this behavior is unacceptable. We would like to thank Teyana for showing incredible character and we are taking appropriate steps to ensure this never happens again.”
Taylor lost the Best Supporting Actress award to Amy Madigan for Weapons, but One Battle After Another was the big winner at the Oscars, winning six major categories. The Paul Thomas Anderson film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Casting, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn. In addition to her Oscar nomination, Taylor won Best Actor, BAFTA, Best Supporting Actress at the Critics Circle Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
