While nearly all of the past Bachelorettes reunited ahead of Taylor Frankie Paul’s season 22, a few leading ladies were noticeably missing — and still showed their support with a sweet virtual message.

“There are some people who couldn’t be here, so I have something to show you,” Trista Sutter explained to Taylor in The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, which aired on Sunday, March 15, before playing clips from her phone.

“Hi Taylor, it’s Jillian Harris here. I’m so happy for you,” season 5 lead Jillian Harris said. “Here’s some advice. I didn’t shave my legs on the very first date and we ended up having a pool party and I ended up on Jason Mesnick’s shoulders with hairy legs, so shave your legs and embrace the moment. Good luck, and I’m sending you tons of love from Canada.”

Trista began laughing as Taylor put her hand over her face and smiled. “Hi Taylor, it’s Jenn. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there today with you,” season 21’s Jenn Tran said, while the Eiffel Tower was visible in the background of her video. “I’m so excited for you. In those moments where I was really pushed past my limits, that was when I discovered some of the most beautiful things about myself. And trust your heart, as cliche as that sounds.”

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Taylor Frankie Paul will kick off her Bachelorette journey with a slew of former leads in her corner. Eighteen of the popular reality dating show’s alums will reunite on The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, airing on ABC and Hulu on Sunday, March 15, one week before Taylor’s season 22 premiere. “It was crazy,” Joan […]

Trista and 17 former leads — Meredith Phillips, DeAnna Pappas, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, Ashley Hebert-Rosenbaum, Emily Maynard-Johnson, Desiree Siegfried, Andi Dorfman-Hart, Kaitlyn Bristowe, JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay, Becca Kufrin, Hannah Brown-Woolard, Tayshia Adams, Katie Thurston, Rachel Recchia, Charity Lawson and Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos — surprised Taylor in the Bachelor Mansion the night of her first rose ceremony.

The group fittingly showed up in matching red, monogrammed sweat sets, which Kaitlyn explained it is because they know “Taylor likes her sweatpants.”

“I’m so excited to welcome her into the sisterhood of The Bachelorette,” Trista said in a confessional. “I’m here with Kaitlyn, Rachel and Ashley and DeAnna and Desiree. Joan is here. We’ve got almost all of us.”

Jen Schefft (season 3), Clare Crawley (season 16), Michelle Young (season 18) and Gabby Windey (season 19) were seemingly absent. Ahead of the reunion, Clare explained why she decided to skip returning to the iconic mansion.

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Former Bachelorettes Trista Sutter, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Rachel Lindsay and more have reunited for a fun get together. The reality stars, who each found fame as the leading ladies on their respective Bachelorette seasons, appeared in each other’s social media accounts on Thursday, November 20. Trista, who led the inaugural season of The Bachelorette when it […]

“I was super sick. The producers asked me to come, and I thought about it since it would be nice to see all the ladies,” Clare said in a February Instagram Story, explaining that she changed her mind after allegedly being told “to rehash things from six years ago.” She added, “Hard pass.”

Joan, meanwhile, exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2024 that the reunion was “crazy.”

“It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I feel like I know them, like, I’ve watched all their seasons, but never met so many of them in person. I’m hopeful for Taylor. She is a genuinely nice human who is unapologetically herself,” Joan said, noting that most of the Bachelorettes are part of a group chat together. “It centers around life events, like, somebody’s pregnant, somebody’s getting married, ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ — just what you send to your close friends. You have this group of people that have done this weird thing that you’ve done. It’s a unique group.”

The Bachelorette season 22 premieres on ABC Sunday, March 22, at 8 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Hulu.

Multiple award winners got bleeped while giving their acceptance speeches at the 2026 Oscars.

The first censored moment of the night came when costume designer Kate Hawley let out a curse word while thanking her family after winning for her work on Frankenstein.

“And my family, who’ve put up with a lot of s*** over the years,” Hawley said while getting bleeped during the live moment.

Later in the evening, Mike Hill also swore while accepting Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Frankenstein.

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Keep scrolling to see who was bleeped during the Oscars:

Kate Hawley

Kate Hawley won for Best Costume Design for Frankenstein. Her speech began with a touching tribute to her team.

“On behalf of myself and the amazing team that I work with — the artisans, the alchemists, the dream weavers — we’re so grateful to The Academy for recognizing our craft,” she said before expressing her gratitude for director Guillermo del Toro. “Thank you for the vision and for taking us on your journey. It’s been a great privilege to be part of it. All our nominations are your nominations. We share this with you.”

Hawley also gave “a big shout-out to our fantastic cast” before thanking her family.

“And my family, who’ve put up with a lot of s*** over the years …” she said, getting bleeped before concluding, “I’m so, so grateful, and thank you very much for recognizing our craft.”

Mike Hill

Mike Hill won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling alongside Jordan Samuel and Cliona Fuery for Frankenstein. Before giving his speech, Hill struggled to get his glasses out of his suit pocket, leading him to swear and get bleeped. After recovering from the moment, Hill spoke from the heart.

“It’s such an honor to be here. Thank you so much,” Hill said. “While we were making this film, we had the sense we were part of something very special, and tonight really confirms that, so thanks.”

Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Gwendolyn Yates Whittle was one of the winners for Best Sound for F1. She appeared on stage alongside colleagues Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta. When it was Whittle’s time to speak, she seemingly cursed while attempting to recite from memory. After getting bleeped, she apologized and read from her prepared statement instead.

“Sorry. I’m sorry! Our gratitude goes to our partners, our parents, our children, our grandchildren. Movies are made for you,” she read. “Go see the blockbusters, go see the independents. Be inspired, go with friends, get a fresh point of view.”

Sentimental Value star Renate Reinsve appeared to narrowly avoid a wardrobe malfunction while on stage at the 2026 Oscars.

Reinsve, 38, joined the cast of Sentimental Value on stage after they won the award for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15. While listening to director Joachim Trier give his acceptance speech, the actress could be seen holding the front and back of her dress, seemingly to prevent it from falling down due to someone else stepping on the gown’s train.

Reinsve could then be seen giggling as she adjusted her dress while walking off the stage.

Reinsve wore a red custom Louis Vuitton asymmetrical strapless dress with a slit all the way up to her right hip and a long train on the left. She paired the gown with matching Giuseppe Zanotti heels and a silver bracelet. The ensemble was styled by Karla Welch.

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The 2026 Oscars brought out major players in the film industry for an unforgettable night. Conan O’Brien hosted the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles. (O’Brien played a role in one of the films recognized by the Academy this year, Mary Bronstein’s […]

“Hang in it the Louvre 🌹,” Welch captioned a photo of Reinsve’s bare legs as stylists strapped up her shoes.

Reinsve stars in Sentimental Value, a Norwegian drama, as Nora, who reunites with estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) alongside her sister, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). Elle Fanning also stars in the movie as a famous actress hired to play the lead in Gustav’s new film.

In addition to Best International Feature Film, Sentimental Value was nominated for Best Directing, Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Writing (Original Screenplay) and Best Film Editing.

“This film is about a very dysfunctional family, and it’s the opposite of what I felt with this beautiful group behind me,” Trier, 52, said in his acceptance speech on Sunday. “I think I’ve made films to feel at home with people, and I’ve really felt at home with the crew. There’s 1,072 people in these credits, and I love them all and I share this with them. The cast behind me, I’ve never been so proud. Thanks for wanting to work with me.”

Related: 2026 Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals: Stars Bring Their Fashion A-Game

The 2026 Oscars red carpet was as glamorous as ever. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Deal of the Day Taylor Swift’s Exact Kendra Scott […]

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The filmmaker continued, “Because I’m in this category, I feel I represent global filmmakers, and in a moment like this, I just wanna recognize the wonderful films we were nominated together with. Important, beautiful films that reflect our present crisis and the crisis of the past. And I want to end by paraphrasing the wonderful American writer James Baldwin, who makes us remember that all adults are responsible for all children, and let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account.”

After Timothée Chalamet took aim at the ballet and opera communities, that was pretty much all the 2026 Oscar attendees could speak about.

“Security is extremely tight tonight,” host Conan O’Brien opened his Sunday, March 15, monologue. “I’m told there’s concerns about a tax from both the opera and ballet communities.”

Chalamet, nominated for leading actor for his role in Marty Supreme, recently proclaimed that he wasn’t interested in either art form.

“Some people want to be entertained quickly. I’m really right in the middle because I admire people [saying], ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. We gotta keep this genre alive,’” Chalamet told Variety in February. “I don’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.”

Related: 2026 Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals: Stars Bring Their Fashion A-Game

The 2026 Oscars red carpet was as glamorous as ever. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Deal of the Day Taylor Swift’s Exact Kendra Scott […]

Chalamet, whose grandmother and mother are retired ballerinas, quickly walked back his comments and gave “all respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”

“Damn, I just took shots for no reason,” the actor quipped.

Chalamet didn’t further address the controversy in the lead-up to the Oscars or at the ceremony itself.

Keep scrolling for a guide to all the ballet and opera mentions at the 2026 Academy Awards:

Conan O’Brien’s Monologue

Oscars host Conan O’Brien couldn’t resist adding in a joke about Timothée Chalamet’s comments in his monologue.

“Security is extremely tight tonight. I just got to mention that,” O’Brien said. “I’m told there’s concerns about a tax from both the opera and ballet communities.”

O’Brien paused as the camera panned over to Chalamet, who coyly laughed off the reference.

“They’re just mad you left out jazz,” O’Brien added.

A Ballet Pioneer

During the Sinners musical tribute, the cast was accompanied by Misty Copeland for its rendition of “I Lied To You.” (Copeland was the first Black principal at the American Ballet Theatre before her retirement in 2025.)

“That’s definitely how it seems, but it was not at all,” Copeland told Vogue ahead of Sunday’s performance, denying her performance was a rebuttal to Timothée Chalamet. “I had agreed to do this before any of this stuff was happening and had blown up the way that it has.”

Ballet and Opera Can Change the World

The Best Live Action Short Film was awarded to The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. During the latter’s acceptance speech, Alexandre Singh touched on the two art forms.

“We believe that art can change people’s souls,” Singh said in his speech. “Maybe it takes 10 years time but we can change society through art, through creativity [and] through theater and ballet … and also cinema.”

Kevin O’Leary Is Still All-In on Timothee Chalamet

On the red carpet, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary speculated that Timothée Chalamet’s comment wouldn’t have an impact on his chances at winning an Oscar.

“I just put 1,000 bucks on [betting app] Kalshi walking in here that he’s gonna win,” O’Leary told Variety. “Because I know the voting stopped long before that controversy happened. He’s a really great guy, his mother’s really nice. The kid is a great kid. He took a bum rap on that. By the way, he gave a lot of promo to opera houses and ballet.”