Why Halle Berry was seen kissing Adrien Brody on Oscars red carpet… in front of his girlfriend
Two decades after one of the most controversial moments in Oscars history, Halle Berry and Adrien Brody reunited on the 2025 Academy Awards red carpet — and this time, Berry took control of the situation.
Interrupting his chat with Access Hollywood’s Georgina Chapman, she said, “Sorry Georgina [Brody’s girlfriend], I have to do this.” She then grabbed Brody’s face and planted a kiss on him, recreating the moment that had sparked so much conversation 22 years earlier.
After pulling away, Berry quipped: “I had to do that. I had to pay him back.”Brody, who is nominated this year for Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist, smiled and embraced Berry as the surrounding crowd erupted into cheers.
The kiss also took place in front of Brody’s partner, Georgina Chapman, who found a lot of humor in her boyfriend kissing another woman. The moment was an intentional nod to the now-infamous incident at the 2003 Academy Awards, when Brody, then 29, shocked the world after winning Best Actor for The Pianist. In an impulsive act of celebration, he grabbed Berry—who was presenting the award—and gave her a long, unexpected kiss on stage.
Berry, who had won Best Actress for Monster’s Ball the previous year, was visibly caught off guard. The moment quickly went viral, with many later criticizing Brody for kissing her without consent.
During his 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, Brody reflected on the night, calling it “one of the most memorable moments ever.”
“You could say time slowed down. That was that moment where I really, really felt it slow down. In fact, it must have, because by the time I got finished kissing her… they were already flashing the sign that said, ‘Get off the stage, your time is up.’”