Access Hollywood Red Carpet Hosts Will Reportedly Grill Stars On #MeToo And Ryan Seacrest
Access Hollywood is taking a unique approach to this year’s Oscars red carpet. The producer of the entertainment news show has confirmed that his hosts will ask celebrities about rival E! News host Ryan Seacrest as they walk the red carpet ahead of the 2018 Academy Awards.
Access Hollywood executive producer Rob Silverstein told Page Six that his hosts Scott Evans and Kit Hoover have been instructed to grill Oscar nominees and other celebrities about the #MeToo movement and the politics surrounding it. But it’s an additional question that could serve to be the most volatile question of the night. Silverstein added:
“And then, we will ask them whether or not they will talk to Ryan Seacrest.”
Seacrest’s reputation has gone south this week after Variety published a damning article about the media mogul. Ryan’s former stylist Suzie Hardy detailed multiple allegations of sexual harassment during the six years that she worked for him, from 2007 to 2013.
The timing of the allegations against Ryan Seacrest couldn’t be worse. Hardy’s bombshell came less than two weeks before the American Idol reboot is scheduled to premiere and just ahead of Ryan’s Oscars red carpet duties for E! News.
E! stood behind Ryan Seacrest in the aftermath of the allegations, but some publicists have already said they have advised their clients to skip E!’s red carpet this year to avoid talking to Seacrest.
"We shouldn’t have to make those choices of, 'Do we or don’t we?'" #MeToo founder says E! shouldn't send Ryan Seacrest to the #Oscars https://t.co/td5duMbfpc pic.twitter.com/jReO87fM7Y
— Variety (@Variety) March 4, 2018
Page Six quoted one publicist who said she will be “shocked” to see who actually stops by to talk to Ryan on the red carpet. Others are angry that female celebrities have been put in the position to decide if they should talk to him or not.
Earlier this week, actress Jennifer Lawrence told Sirius host Howard Stern that she is not sure what she will do about E!’s red carpet.
“I don’t know about the Ryan Seacrest thing,” Lawrence told Stern. “I don’t know… That is where this stuff gets tricky. There is a lot to think about with E!”
Earlier this week, a source told Page Six that E! held “crisis meetings” in an attempt to secure friendly stars for Ryan Seacrest to talk to live on the red carpet.
While E!’s carpet has been called into question, other publicists have advised their clients to skip the Access Hollywood red carpet after hearing about the show’s unusual game plan.
Silverstein thinks the red carpet drama could result in some great TV moments.
“If there are awkward moments, there are awkward moments. I’m not afraid of awkward moments,” he told Page Six. “Could [the red carpet] be a little bit more tension-filled? Yes — and I think that’s great.”
While he issued a strong denial of Hardy’s allegations, Ryan Seacrest has not commented on the red carpet drama. Hours before the live awards show, the longtime E! host posted a photo of a pre-Oscars huddle with his team, noting that this will be his 12th year on the Oscars red carpet.
The 2018 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 4.
