Last night, Adrien Brody became a two-time Oscar winner — and his speech was definitely… something.
Adrien Brody in a tuxedo with a bow tie and decorative brooch holding an award on a formal event backdrop
Adrien last won for his leading role in The Pianist back in 2003, and he’s definitely no stranger to a memorable Oscar moment. Lest we forget the controversial Halle Berry smooch of 22 years ago.
Adrien Brody kisses Halle Berry at the 2003 Oscars
This year, Adrien has been facing scrutiny for his super long speech — but he’s also getting a ton of flack for something that happened right before he went on stage to accept the Best Actor accolade.
Adrien Brody in formal tuxedo holding an award statue, speaking into a microphone on stage
After his name was called by Cillian Murphy, Adrien embraced his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, alongside his cast mates and director. But as he walked up the stairs, he paused and then proceeded to spit his gum into his hand.
Adrien Brody pauses as he walks onstage to receive his Oscar and holds up his hand to take out his gum
Already pretty gross. But then, as he looked around for somewhere to dispose of said gum, his girlfriend Georgina got up and held out her hands. And everything else aside, you have to admire her dedication. Because, (say it with me) EW.
Behind Adrien, Georgina Chapman in the audience holds out her hands for the gum in a staggering display of commitment
With zero hesitation, Adrien hurled his gum at Georgina. For a second, it looked like she was going to catch it. She did not.
Georgina tragically misses the gum as Adrien turns to continue walking to the stage
Now, presumably, the gum is somewhere on the floor of the Dolby Theatre. Perhaps it’ll be there forever.
Needless to say, several people were not impressed with the move. Criticizing Adrien’s decision to throw out his gum, one person commented, “Like can’t you just not chew it while you speak, nothing can be as bad as throwing it at someone,” while another added, “bro could’ve put it in his pocket.”
Adrien Brody in formal suit holding an Oscar statue, posing with a slight smile. Background shows the word “OSCARS.”
“ZERO CLASS. ZERO,” someone else said, while one more user suggested that Georgina “should have thrown it back at him.”
Georgina Chapman on red carpet in a strapless black gown with embellished top and dramatic earrings, posing with one hand on hip
However, some people admired Adrien and Georgina’s ride-or-die couple energy. One person tweeted, “adrien brody’s girlfriend catching his gum is kinda the most romantic thing i’ve ever seen.” Someone replied in agreement, “i would not catch gum for anybody i will tell you that this is a love from another plane of existence.”
Adrien Brody and girlfriend Georgina Chapman on a red carpet kissing; one in a tuxedo with bow tie, the other in a strapless gown with statement earrings
Other users were more concerned about the Challengers of it all. “Adrien Brody’s wife catching his gum??? Challengers you were at the Oscars in spirit,” one person wrote. Another credited the moment to “art donaldson’s impact,” and I kind of have to agree.
Scene from “Challengers” where Art spits gum into Patrick’s hand
However, this user’s explanation for The Gum Incident is probably my favorite. “my conspiracy theory is that adrien brody is secretly embarrassed about throwing his gum at his wife so he took forever to finish his speech so no one would mention it,” they wrote. And I’m completely on board.
Adrien Brody in a tuxedo on stage, hands clasped in a grateful gesture, against a dark backdrop, possibly at an awards event
Maybe the gum will turn up on Timothée Chalamet’s shoe when he wins Best Actor in 2057. Let me know your thoughts below.
