Host Conan O’Brien left the audience stunned with a controversial joke referencing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Britain’s Prince Andrew during the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony.
The comedian made the remark while talking about the absence of British acting nominees at the awards held at the Dolby Theatre.
“For the first time since 2011, there are no British actors nominated,” O’Brien said, adding: “But at least they arrest the pedophiles over there.”
The comment appeared to catch many in the crowd off guard, with a brief moment of silence rippling through the theatre before applause followed.
The joke referred to the millions of files connected to the Epstein case that were made public in January. The documents reportedly linked the convicted paedophile to several global figures, including Bill Gates and Donald Trump.
But it was Prince Andrew — full name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — who was arrested in February 2026 for his ties to Epstein and is currently under investigation for alleged misconduct in public office.
Epstein, a financier who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, has long been linked to a network of influential figures through his social and business connections.
Earlier this year, comedian Nikki Glaser also referenced the controversy in a joke during the Golden Globes.
Addressing the star-studded audience, which included actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts, Glaser said she was surprised by “the amount of star power we have in this room tonight.”
She continued: “It’s insane. There’s so many A-listers. And by A lists, I do mean people who are on A lists that have been heavily redacted.”
O’Brien’s opening monologue at the ceremony ranged across a wide set of targets. He joked about actor Timothée Chalamet amid a recent ballet and opera controversy, made cracks about actor Sean Penn and Ted Sarandos, and mocked the lack of arrests connected to the Epstein files.
Among his early lines, O’Brien told the audience: “I’m Conan O’Brien and I’m honored to be the last human host of the Academy Award. Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”
He added: “Last year, when I hosted, Los Angeles was on fire. But this year, everything’s going great!”
Referring to heightened tensions among performing arts communities, O’Brien said: “Security is extremely tight tonight. I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet community.”
The monologue also included jabs at the U.S. healthcare system and right-wing counter-programming around the Super Bowl.
Later, striking a more serious tone, O’Brien addressed viewers around the world and spoke about global instability.
“Yes, tonight is an international event. If I can be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times,” he said.
“It’s at moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant — 31 countries across six continents are represented this evening, and every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today — optimism.”