Adrien Brody and Halle Berry took a trip down memory lane at the 2025 Academy Awards, revisiting one of history’s most talked-about and controversial Oscar moments.
In a video shared by the Academy’s official social media, with the tagline “A reunion 22 years in the making,” Berry, who was set to present an award, greeted Brody warmly before leaning in to initiate a staged kiss on the red carpet.
Explaining the moment, Berry told Variety:
“I had to pay him back.”
The playful reenactment was a nod to the 2003 Oscars, when Brody, after winning Best Actor for The Pianist, surprised Berry—who was presenting the award—by pulling her in for an unscripted kiss on the lips.
Over the years, the incident has sparked debate, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Many revisited the moment through a different lens. While some saw it as spontaneous, others criticized it as inappropriate.
Berry and Brody’s 2025 red carpet moment appears to be a lighthearted way of addressing the past, with Berry taking control of the narrative two decades later.
A reunion 22 years in the making. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/MkaF2xb6SE
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 2, 2025
