At the Academy Awards (Oscars), Hollywood star Halle Berry's 'revenge kiss' became a hot topic.
On March 2 (local time), according to foreign media including the UK daily The Guardian, at the 97th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles, Berry approached actor Adrien Brody, who was nominated for Best Actor for his role in 'Brutalist,' with open arms. After exchanging a light hug, she said a few words to Brody's girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, who was standing nearby.
She then leaned in toward Brody and gave him a surprise kiss for a few seconds. Chapman, watching the scene from the side, laughed and clapped, and after finishing the kiss, Berry embraced Brody deeply again.
This kiss was a direct payback for Brody's actions at the 2003 Oscars when he kissed Berry. At that time, Brody received his first Oscar for Best Actor for his role in 'The Pianist' and, overwhelmed with emotion, pulled Berry, the presenter, into a forceful kiss after going up on stage to receive the award.
Brody's behavior became controversial again a few years ago during the Hollywood 'Me Too' movement. In a 2017 interview, Berry shared her thoughts at the time: 'I just stood there because I knew how a winner felt, but inside I thought, 'What the hell is going on?'
In response, Brody explained, 'I had no intention of making anyone uncomfortable with my actions.' The two encountered each other on the Academy red carpet for the first time in 22 years, prompting the Academy’s official Instagram to post a video with the caption 'A reunion after 22 years.' Berry remarked in an interview with entertainment media Variety on that night, 'That night was really incredible for both him and me,' adding, 'I had to repay him today.'
On that night, Brody received his second Best Actor award 22 years later. He was praised for his role as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor. Berry, who became the first and only Black actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 2002 film 'Monster's Ball,' attended this award ceremony as a presenter.