Oscars hosts' lives now – fatal brain condition, brutal Rihanna snub and chat show fury

The 94th Academy Awards, or Oscars as they are more commonly known, have rocked Hollywood after Will Smith hit Chris Rock in the face on stage.

Hosted by Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer, the ceremony is known for having some of the hottest stars in Hollywood at the helm of the highly anticipated event.

The hosts draw as much attention as the nominated stars – with many making headlines for their jokes, controversial statements or their competitions – such as Jimmy Kimmel’s famous jet ski prize for the shortest acceptance speech.

As the Oscars comes to an end for another year, Daily Star has taken a look inside the lives of some of the event’s previous hosts.

Dudley Moore

British comedy legend Dudley Moore hosted the 1983 Academy Awards alongside his Arthur co-star Lizi Minelli.

Arthur is the 1981 film of the same name was one of his most famous roles, alongside his role as Patch in the 1985 Santa Claus film, showcasing his trademark humour both.

He also starred in the sequel Arthur 2: On the Rocks, and performed onstage with his co-star Liza Minelli in concert in later years.

He was also a talented musician, winning a scholarship to study at Oxford before rising to fame as one half of comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Away from the limelight, he was married four times – first to Suzy Kendall from 1968-1972 and then to Tuesday Weld from 1975-1980, with who he had a son called Patrick.

He later married Brogan Lane from 1988-1991 and then started a relationship with Nicole Rothschild, who he was married to from 1994-1998, with who he had a son called Nicholas.

In 2001, he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, which is an incurable brain condition similar to Parkinsons.

The Irish Times reported that Dudley talked about his illness in a television interview, saying: “There’s always this feeling of why did it hit me?

“I cannot make peace with it because I know I am going to die from it. Yes I feel angry, that’s true – to be reduced to this insignificant version of myself is overpowering.”

In the same year, he was given a CBE by Prince Charles, attending the ceremony in a wheelchair as his health deteriorated due to the condition.

One year later, Dudley died aged 66 at his home in New Jersey on March 27, 2002.

Steve Martin

Steve is no stranger to Hollywood, having starred in films including The Three Amigos, Father of the Bride and The Man with Two Brains.

He also starred in Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Little Shop of Horrors co-star John Candy in 1987, with the two actors becoming close friends off-screen.

As with a lot of John Hughes films, John Candy improvised some of his lines.

In the book Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the 80s changed Hollywood Forever by Nick De Semlyn, it is recalled that John Candy’s improvised line “But this time I couldn’t let go” about why he attaches himself to passers by, had a huge impact on Steve Martin.

Nick says: “Martin would still shed a tear remembering the heartfelt confession,” following the death of John Candy seven years later.

Steve Martin also regularly collaborates with comedy partner Martin Short, who he starred opposite in The Three Amigos, and has recently worked with again in the Disney series Only Murders in the Building in 2021.

Talking about their close partnership, Steve Martin joked in an interview with The Guardian that “Marty just kept following me,” with Martin Short adding: “Every time he changed his number, I found the new one!”

In his personal life, Steve Martin has one daughter called Mary and has been married twice – first to Victoria Tennant from 1986-1994 and then to Anne Stringfield from 2007.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg is one of the few Hollywood stars to have hosted the Academy Awards ceremony multiple times.

The Sister Act star first hosted the event in 1994, before going on to host a further three times throughout the years.

She also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting actress, for her role as a medium in the 1990 film Ghost, and has since starred in huge films including Moonlight and Valentino, Girl Interrupted and most recently, in the TV series Star Trek: Picard.

Along with acting, Whoopi Goldberg also became a co-host on American talkshow The View and has become one of the show’s mos popular moderators, but has also drawn criticism for controversial comments made on the programme.

In 2022, she received widespread criticism for comments she made regarding The Holocaust, and was suspended from the programme for two weeks.

Whoopi issued an apology soon after the comments were made, saying: “The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver (sic). I am sorry for the hurt I have caused.”

ABC News president Kim Godwin also said in a statement: “Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments.

“While Whoopi has apologised, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments. The entire ABC News organisation stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.”

In her personal life, Whoopi has also had a number of high profile relationships with stars including Cheers actor Ted Danson, and has been married three times.

She was married to Alvin Martin from 1973-1979, with who she had a daughter called Alexandrea Martin.

She later married cinematographer David Claessen in 1986, before beginning a relationship with Lyle Trachtenberg, who she was married to from 1994-1995.

In 2021, she also revealed on The View that she was battling with a health condition called Sciatica, telling the audience: “Yes, it’s me, I’m back. I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg.

She added: “So there I was, trying to move my leg – impossible to do. It was really horrible, but I’m glad to be here.”

Goldie Hawn

Overboard star Goldie Hawn has hosted the Academy Awards twice, alongside fellow stars including Gene Kelly during the seventies and eighties.

Her on screen debut came in 1967’s Good Morning World, before the Hollywood icon went on to star in films including Private Benjamin, Death Becomes Her and most recently, Family Jewels, which is currently in pre-production.

Away from our screens, Goldie was married to Bill Hudson from 1976-1982, with who she had children and famous actors Oliver and Kate Hudson.

However in 1983, she went on to start her famous relationship with Hollywood star Kurt Russell.

The lovebirds first met on the set of 1966 film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, when Goldie was 21 years old and Kurt was 16.

They parted ways as friends, but their romance finally blossomed when they were reunited on the set of 1983 film Swing Shift, with the couple welcoming their son Wyatt Russell in 1986.

Along with performing alongside one another in films such as Overboard, they most recently Netflix’ Hit Christmas Chronicles film series, which saw Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn play Mr and Mrs Claus in 2020.

In 2017, the golden couple were also honoured together with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Although they are one of Hollywood’s golden couples, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have never gotten married – despite being a couple for over 39 years.

Earlier this year Goldie appeared on Loose Women and made a sweet revelation about why they have not gotten married, explaining: “I would have been long divorced if I’d been married. Marriage is an interesting psychological thing. If you need to feel bound to someone, then it’s important to be married.

“If you have independence, if you have enough money and sense of independence and you like your independence, there’s something psychological about not being married because it gives you the freedom to make decisions one way or the other.”

She added: “For me, I chose to stay. Kurt chose to stay, and we like the choice.”

Billy Crystal

When Harry Met Sally and Monsters Inc star Billy Crystal is a staple feature of the Academy Awards, having hosted the event a massive nine times throughout the decades between 1990-2012.

His hosting duties have become famous, with Billy famously super imposing himself into film scenes from that year’s Oscars nominees in the introductory segments of the events.

The actor has appeared in some of Hollywood’s biggest films including Throw Mamma From the Train, City Slickers and Analyse This.

He most recently reprised his role as Mike in the Disney animated series Monsters At Work, and is due to appear in a new film called Which Witch?

Away from the limelight, Billy Crystal has also been married to his high school sweetheart Janice Goldfinger since 1970 and the couple have two daughters together, called Jennifer and Lindsay.

His daughter Jennifer is also a famous actress, appearing in TV series including House, Beverley Hills 90210 and NCIS.

Billy was also a close friend of the late actor Robin Williams, and in the biography Robin, recalled one of the last times he saw his friend in 2013, saying: “He seemed quiet. On occasion, he’d just reach out and hold my shoulder and look at me like he wanted to say something.

“He hugged me goodbye, and Janice, and he started crying.

“I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ He said, ‘Oh, I’m just so happy to see you. It’s been too long. You know I love you.”

Chris Rock

Comedian and Hollywood star Chris Rock has hosted the Academy Awards ceremony twice – in 2006 and again ten years later in 2016.

Prior to the ceremony, Chris had risen to fame as one of the stars of Saturday Night Live, before making his name in huge films including The Longest Yard, Bad Company, Lethal Weapon 4 and voicing Marty in the Madagascar films.

In his personal life he was also married to Malaak Compton Rock for 20 years between 1996-2016, with who he had two children, but they later divorced due to allegations of infidelity.

He has openly discussed his love life in his stand up shows and in his Netflix special, Chris Rock: Tambourine, he revealed that he was once rejected by Rihanna at a party.

He said: “After my divorce was final, I was at a party and I saw Rihanna.

“I was like, ‘OK, let’s start this again. Let me say what’s up’, right?” And I’m like, ‘How you doing, Rihanna?”

“Rihanna looked at me like I was one of her aunts.”

However, the comedian is now focusing on his 2022 stand-up world tour, which is visiting four cities in the UK later this year.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is another star to have hosted the Academy Awards twice – first in 2007 and then again in 2014.

Her 2014 appearance also made headlines around the world, after a selfie she took with stars including Bradley Cooper went viral, and has become one of the ceremony’s most iconic moments.

She also famously ordered pizza for the crowd, with hungry stars including Jared Leto tucking into a slice, in a nod to the ceremony’s famous ‘no food’ rule in the auditorium.

Before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Ellen rose to fame as a comedian and appeared on the TV programme Ellen from 1994-1998, as well as hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2003.

As well as her talk show roles, she has also voiced famous characters including Dory in the Pixar films Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.

In Oprah’s 1997 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the TV host also came out publicly as gay and spoke openly about her sexuality.

The interview is hailed as a historic tv moment in the LGBTQ+ community, and Oprah starred in the Ellen show, when Ellen’s character also came out as gay.

Dava Saval, an Executive Producer for the Ellen Show recalled to Vanity Fair about the moment that Oprah watched the scenes back for the first time.

She said: “She started to cry. The tears just flowed down her cheeks, and she said, ‘I’m so proud to be a part of this. I’m so proud.”

In her personal life, the star has also been married to actress Portia De Rossi since 2008, and earlier this year, paid a sweet tribute to her wife in an Instagram post.

She shared a photo of Portia with one of their horses on her birthday, saying: “I can’t imagine my life without you in it.

“I’m so, so glad you were born. Happy birthday, Portia.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk