Oscars host Conan O’Brien has been keeping the mood light during the Academy Awards ceremony but hasn’t shied away from controversies leading up to the big night. He has took a dig at one of the celebrities present at the ceremony Karla Sofía Gascón early on in the evening.

However, he had avoided one person who has been front and center of a number of controversies until late in the show. Returning from a commercial break and taking advantage of Anora’s success at the Oscars with two golden statuettes at the time he quipped, “I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian.”

The jab at first drew wows from the audience before turning to applause and laughter.

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