Timothée Chalamet laughs off ballet and opera scandal after Conan O’Brien’s Oscars swipe

Despite a week of savage online criticism for ‘disrespecting’ ballet and opera, Timothée Chalamet is clearly unbothered.

At tonight’s Oscars, it took all of two minutes for host Conan O’Brien to poke fun at the Marty Supreme star’s recent scandal as he kicked off his monologue.

Appearing at a live Town Hall debate with Interstellar’s Matthew McConaughey just days ago, 30-year-old best actor nominee Chalamet (who competes against Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Wagner Moura, and Ethan Hawke) put his foot in his mouth with his comments.

Igniting a discussion, McConaughey, 56, suggested that many studios appear to be cutting to ‘conflict’ faster in their movies, since audiences have shorter attention spans today.

Chalamet countered his point, citing Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation as an example of a slower-paced project that still managed to keep fans hooked.

Admitting that he understood both sides of the argument, Chalamet went on to say that he ‘[didn’t] want to be working in ballet or opera, where it’s like, “Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore”.’

‘All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,’ he laughed afterwards, clearly expecting to catch heat.

He added: ‘I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.’

It’d be an understatement to say his remarks caused fury among the ballet and opera fields, with fans, theatregoers, and celebrities around the world slamming him for his ‘shocking’ and ‘narrow-minded’ attitude.

And while it might have lost him some once-adoring admirers, the poorly judged quip has been water off Chalamet’s back, as even he can see the funny side a week later.

Opening tonight’s Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, O’Brien said: ‘I should tell you, security is tight tonight.

‘I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.’

The camera then panned to Chalamet in the crowd, sitting beside girlfriend Kylie Jenner, and with a beaming smile on his face, taking the jibe on the chin.

‘You’re just mad you left out jazz!’, added the presenter.

His fellow A-listers also filled the room with gasps and laughter, while social media praised second-time host O’Brien for seizing the opportunity.

‘Conan really knows how to roast with style’, wrote @UtheeFx on X, while @ifiona1036 said he ‘nailed’ the opener, adding: ‘Timothée laughing along shows it’s all in good fun.’

Chalamet opted to walk the red carpet solo tonight, defying Hollywood tradition and opting for a quirky white look with shades and boots over a black tux.

Jenner, meanwhile, debuted her look on Instagram ahead of the event, serving Jessica Rabbit realness in a shimmering red gown complete with plunging neckline.

Taking to the platform, the Kylie Cosmetics founder shared a video of herself dressed in the skin-tight metallic Schiaparelli number, teamed with Lorraine Schwartz.

She captioned the video: ‘Jessica who?’

Jenner has been by Chalamet’s side at several shows throughout awards season, and he has paid tribute to her in his acceptance speeches.

At the Golden Globes, he shouted out his ‘partner,’ saying: ‘For my parents, for my partner, I love you. Thank you so much.’

At the Critics’ Choice Awards, he went even further and said: ‘I’ll just say thank you to my partner of three years. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’

Elsewhere in his intro this year, O’Brien couldn’t resist a gag relating to the current political landscape, saying, laced with sarcasm: ‘Last year when I hosted, Los Angeles was on fire. This year, everything is going great.’

But he didn’t stop there, oh no, as O’Brien pointed out that 2026 marks the first time since 2012 that there are no British nominees in the acting categories.

He said: ‘A British spokesperson said, “Yeah, at least we arrest our paedophiles”.’

O’Brien did, however, adopt a more serious tone later on, acknowledging that these are ‘chaotic, frightening times’.

‘It’s at moments like these that I believe the Oscars are particularly resonant,’ he noted.

Referring to the number of countries and continents represented, he said the nominated films are ‘the product of thousands of people speaking different languages working hard to produce something of beauty’.

He added that they show ‘global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities, optimism.’