Viewers of the Academy Awards last night (Sunday 12 March) were in stitches after spotting a hilarious moment involving Nigerian artist Tems.
Tems, whose full name is Temilade Openiyi, arrived at the 2023 Oscars in a flowing white tulle gown, which included a headpiece that circled around her head and shoulders. The dress was designed by LA-based designer Lever Couture.
However, the headpiece proved to be a bit of a problem once Tems left the champagne carpet and took her seat in the crowd.
The headpiece, which was not removable from the dress, obscured the view of the stage for anyone sitting directly behind the singer.
Tems, who was nominated alongside Rihanna for Best Original Song for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever track “Lift Me Up”, appeared unaware of the impact her dress was having.
But viewers pointed out a particularly funny moment when the woman who sat behind the singer peeked out from behind the billowing headpiece in an attempt to see the stage.
“I’m crying,” one person wrote as they shared a clip of the moment. “Tems got that lady fighting for her life.”
Another said: “Tems looks amazing but Oscars [are definitely] banning large headdresses next year during the ceremony.”
A third joked that the dress was the “red carpet equivalent of a Sunday church hat”, referring to large and extravagant hats sometimes worn by women attending church service.
US journalist Jarrett Bellini joked: “Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud.”
The person sitting to the left of Tems also appeared to have a difficult time watching the ceremony, as her headpiece extended beyond her shoulder and into his space.
Some screenshots from the ceremony showed the man leaning to his left in order to see past the tulle.
Other nominees for the Best Original Song category included Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, Son Lux’s “This Is A Life” from Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, and Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.
The award was won by Telugu-language film RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt) for the song “Naatu Naatu”, making it the first Indian song to win an Oscar.
