The 2025 Oscars ceremony, held on the evening of March 2, became the epicenter of controversy when Alec Baldwin was suddenly removed from the event and stripped of all nominations just minutes after Elon Musk publicly demanded the Academy take action. The dramatic incident, unfolding during the year’s most prominent film event, sent shockwaves through the audience and ignited a firestorm online. Baldwin, nominated for his role in a critically acclaimed film, has been a polarizing figure in recent years due to the tragic 2021 accident on the set of Rust, which led to widespread criticism and legal battles—though he was ultimately cleared of criminal responsibility.

Elon Musk, the influential founder of Tesla and xAI, unexpectedly took to his social media platform X mere hours before the ceremony, branding Baldwin “a danger to the film industry” and urging the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to exclude him from all award categories. While Musk’s motivations for this statement remain murky, his words appeared to carry significant weight. The Oscars organizers, typically known for maintaining neutrality amid controversies, acted with unprecedented speed, issuing a brief announcement during the event that Baldwin was no longer in contention for any awards.

Public reaction has been sharply divided. Some endorsed the Academy’s decision, arguing that Baldwin’s past scandals made him unfit for a stage as prestigious as the Oscars. Others, however, condemned the organizers for seemingly bowing to pressure from a single influential figure like Musk, raising concerns about the award’s fairness and independence. Baldwin himself has yet to release an official statement following the incident, though sources report he left the venue visibly furious.