Academy Addresses Teyana Taylor’s Experience with Oscars Security Guard and Promises Action
An incident involving Teyana Taylor, a nominee for Best Supporting Actress from the film One Battle After Another, has sparked concern among the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The altercation occurred at the conclusion of the 98th Oscars ceremony when Taylor, who had just celebrated her film winning Best Picture, attempted to return to the stage for a group photo.
According to reports from TMZ, a security guard from the Oscars’ outside security firm, Security Industry Specialists (SIS), physically prevented her from doing so. Video footage from the event captured Taylor confronting the guard, stating, “He’s putting his hands on a female,” and calling his actions “very rude.” She also told another guest, “He literally shoved me.”
In response to the incident, the Academy issued a statement on Monday expressing its dismay over the situation. “We were extremely upset to learn about the experience endured by Teyana Taylor at the end of the Oscars ceremony last night,” the statement said. “We have worked with Teyana over the last several months during awards season, and she has been nothing short of remarkable, supportive, kind, and all about community.”
The statement continued, emphasizing the Academy’s accountability for the experiences of all its guests, including the need for a review of external security practices: “Though the incident was with our outside security firm SIS, the experience of every single guest is our responsibility. We have made it clear to them that this behavior is not acceptable. We want to thank Teyana for showing remarkable grace, and we are taking the appropriate measures to ensure this does not happen again.”
Following the Academy’s statement, Taylor took to X to express her gratitude, writing, “Thank you to @TheAcademy. I really appreciate your unwavering love & support.”
SIS also responded to the situation, stating, “This is not the standard of professionalism we expect from our team, and we have addressed the matter internally to help ensure situations like this do not happen again.”
One Battle was a standout at the Oscars, winning a total of six awards from its 13 nominations. In the Best Supporting Actress category, Amy Madigan of Weapons took home the award, prompting a visibly excited reaction from Taylor when Madigan’s name was announced.
