The 13 Biggest Oscars Scandals Ever

Like any live event, the Academy Awards just want to make sure everything that’s supposed to happen during their big night happens smoothly. Like any live event, mishaps are inevitable. Those who follow Hollywood’s most high-profile show love nothing more than a good on-screen or behind-the-scenes scandal, and the Oscars are rife with drama both scripted and unscripted.

While the nominees may hope that their wins are what make headlines the next day, oftentimes it’s the wilder stuff: the public beef between stars, the flubbed lines during the ceremony, the weird acceptance speeches, the bad hosts, the Oscar villains. The Academy Awards hold the kind of dramatic potential we can only hope our favorite movies and TV shows measure up to, the rare public event where things are more interesting if something goes wrong.

Because we love drama, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the craziest scandals that have ever ignited the Academy Awards stage. Vintage voter fraud, a surprise streaker, presenters calling out movies that deserved recognition, people winning for projects they hated, the only tie in Oscar history, a Best Picture blunder, and the most famous slap ever seen on live television have us glued to our screens year after year, wondering what kind of shocks and excitement the next broadcast will have in store. Obviously, we hope everything goes well for everyone this year and every year, but if anything happens during the next Oscars ceremony that deserves a place on this list, we’ll be watching.

READ MORE: Oscars 2024: The Full List of This Year’s Nominees