Entertainment

This Tweet About Best Actor Says A Mouthful

by Amanda Richards
Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

On Feb. 27, the 89th Annual Academy Awards went relatively smoothly — until the last couple of minutes of the show, that is. While announcing the winner for Best Picture, Faye Dunaway named La La Land for the win — only to learn a few moments later that Moonlight was the rightful winner of the golden statue.

In the Oscars' nearly nine-decade history, it's the first time that something like this has actually happened — naturally, the response was one of shock and disbelief. However, actor BJ Novak's post-Oscars tweet might be even more controversial than the flub itself.

Novak's tweet refers to the award given just moments before, bestowed upon Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea for Best Actor. Affleck's nomination and subsequent win were problematic for many due to allegations in Affleck's personal life. In September 2016, Mashable reported that Affleck was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct in 2010. Affleck denies these claims.

"But Affleck has sailed through so far without mention of the two women," Mashable reported, "A producer and a cinematographer, who in separate 2010 lawsuits accused him of boorish and harassing behavior — including unwelcome physical advances — while shooting the Joaquin Phoenix docu-farce I'm Still Here."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck's attorneys claimed that "the allegations brought upon our client are preposterous and without merit." The lawsuits were settled out of court.

Flash forward to 2017: Shortly after Best Picture was mistakenly announced, Novak took to Twitter and offered a simple statement:

His tweet likely rings true for those uncomfortable with Affleck's win, many of whom believe that including an alleged sexual harasser in the nomination process is akin to normalizing the rumored behavior.

Whatever the truth, Novak's truth is certainly enough to make you think.