Not so fast! After Alejandro González Iñárritu was criticized for appearing to not clap for Jenny Beavan after her big win at the 2016 Oscars, the Revenant director issued a statement on Thursday, March 3, insisting that he did applaud the Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer.
“I think Jenny Beavan is a masterful costume designer and very deserving of the Oscar for Mad Max: Fury Road,” Iñárritu, 52, told The Guardian. “By editing and omitting the full reality and suggesting I felt anything but admiration is mean-spirited and false. What you don’t see in the 10-second clip being circulated is my applause for Jenny as she ascended the stairs to the stage.”
In a now-viral video from the 88th Academy Awards held on Sunday, February 28, in L.A., Beaven is seen walking up to collect her award for best costume design while Iñárritu appears to be scowling at the British designer with his arms tightly crossed.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker says he was caught at a bad moment — and even provided a GIF to The Guardian showing that he did, in fact, put his hands together for the British designer. “I’ve learned a lot this awards season … that I should never cross my arms when I am sitting down,” he added.
As Us Weekly previously reported, Iñárritu wasn’t the only audience member seemingly holding their applause. Other Hollywood power players, including Spotlight director Tom McCarthy, didn’t appear to applaud Beavan either.
While the London native believes it was her unconventional awards show attire that caused the crowd to judge, she couldn’t care less.
“I am British with a slightly rebellious character; I always have been,” she told The Hollywood Reporter about her fashion decisions. “What I was actually wearing at the Oscars was sort of an homage to Mad Max — a kind of biker outfit. And George [Miller] loved it. The [vegan] leather jacket had the Immorten Joe symbol on the back and I was just giving a little wink to Mad Max.”
Beavan even took responsibility for the lack of clapping. “Honestly, I didn’t clap the whole time [during the ceremony] — your hands get tired,” she added. “We had done a huge amount of clapping by that time. They didn’t have to! I don’t mind in the least if they didn’t clap.”
