Behind Hollywood's biggest festival, an unexpected "lighting war" broke out. The Vanity Fair Oscar party, which boasted the most glamour every year, reportedly shocked A-list stars this year because of extraordinarily honest(?) lighting.
On the 18th (local time) Page Six and The Hollywood Reporter (THR) reported that stars' complaints were pouring in because of the party's "merciless" lighting system at the Vanity Fair party held on Sunday night at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
Traditionally held in Beverly Hills, the party had long been famous for the "magical lighting" that made stars look most beautiful. But the lighting introduced after moving the venue this year was excessively bright and sharp.
An attendee told THR, "It felt like standing under aircraft searchlights," adding, "It was so hot I was stunned. It felt like 104 degrees Celsius." Another insider said, "The lighting is so high-definition that wrinkles and excess flesh that used to be concealable are now laid bare," and criticized, "No actor wants to be photographed like that."
The situation became even worse online. The newly laid light gray carpet amplified light reflection and produced the opposite effect. On social media such as TikTok, stars' "unretouched-grade" photos spread, followed by merciless ridicule from some internet users.
A witness relayed, "A famous actress screamed at her publicist after checking her photos," and added the sad behind-the-scenes detail that "there are rumors she went home and cried herself to sleep. She hasn't been in contact with anyone since that day." For that reason, many stars posted photos taken at Madonna's party on their personal social media instead of the official Vanity Fair photos, creating a curious scene.
The party, which Vanity Fair ambitiously planned to showcase LACMA's new gallery, creaked from the start as construction was not finished on time and the event was held in a less glamorous annex.
A guest jokingly retorted, "Was the lighting designer perhaps someone who installs highway lights?" but added with a pointed joke, "If I'm invited next year I'll go, but please, at least let the lighting return to how it was before."
Meanwhile, Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika (Mark Gidutch) reportedly came close to a nervous breakdown early in the party because of the lighting mishap, but as the night deepened she regained composure spending time at the bar with her boyfriend.
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