An awkward exchange between Selena Gomez and Samuel L Jackson was caught by a lip reader as the directors of the documentary No Other Land gave a speech about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the Oscars.
Gomez, 32, and Jackson, 76, presented the best documentary award to the four activists who made the movie, two of them Israeli and two Palestinian.
No Other Land is fiercely critical of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and stars two of its directors – Palestinian Basel Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham.
The two men delivered impassioned speeches from the Oscars stage denouncing the displacement of the Palestinians, as well as Israel’s assault on Gaza in the wake of the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023.
However many Oscars viewers had their eyes trained on Gomez and Jackson, who were spotted chatting uncomfortably onstage as the directors spoke.
Now expert Nicola Hickling of Lipreader LIMITED has told DailyMail.com what the celebrities were saying to one another in the background of the political moment.
An awkward exchange between Selena Gomez and Samuel L Jackson was caught by a lip reader as the directors of the documentary No Other Land gave an Oscars speech
While Abraham was wrapping up, Jackson allegedly told Gomez: ‘He made that speech very political,’ and she purportedly replied: ‘He did, yes,’ per Hickling.
Gomez had a faint smile on her face while Jackson talked to her, and after she gave him her response, Jackson was seen laughing.
Early in the Oscars speech, Adra spoke about ‘always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolition and forced displacement’ amid the ‘Israeli occupation.’
He also issued a call to ‘the world to take serious actions to stop the un-justice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.’
Abraham then stepped in, noting that Palestinians and Israelis collaborated on the film ‘because together our voices are stronger.’
He then slated ‘the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end,’ while also condemning ‘the crime of October 7,’ adding that the ‘brutally taken’ Israeli hostages ‘must be freed’ by Hamas.
Referring to Adra, he said: ‘When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control.’
He urged the parties to seek ‘a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people,’ and argued to the American audience that US foreign policy was ‘helping to block this path.’
Gomez had a faint smile on her face while Jackson talked to her, and after she gave him her response, Jackson was seen laughing
Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra is seen giving a speech about ‘always fearing settlers’ violence, home demolition and forced displacement’ amid the ‘Israeli occupation’
Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, pictured at the mic, slated ‘the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end,’ while also condemning ‘the crime of October 7’
Abraham urged the parties to seek ‘a different path, a political solution’ and argued to the American audience that US foreign policy was ‘helping to block this path’
At that line, applause broke out in the audience – but Jackson kept his hands down while Gomez could be seen adjusting her dress
In the middle of the speech, a heckler could be heard in the audience shouting: ‘Get rid of Hamas!’ but failed to unhorse the filmmakers
At that line, applause broke out in the audience – but Jackson kept his hands down while Gomez could be seen adjusting her dress.
During the speech, a heckler in the audience shouted: ‘Get rid of Hamas!’ according to Vulture, but failed to unhorse the filmmakers.
Jackson has expressed support for Israel in the past, tweeting in 2014 that he was attending a Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City.
That same year, Gomez was plunged into controversy for urging fans on social media to ‘Pray for Gaza’ amid an Israeli onslaught against the Palestinian enclave.
As backlash mounted to her original post, she added a clarification that she was ‘not picking any sides’ and was ‘praying for peace and humanity for all!’
In the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Gomez took a brief break from social media, as Israel laid siege to the Gaza Strip and pummeled it with airstrikes.
When she returned to Instagram, she wrote that she was ‘sick’ over the ‘innocent people getting hurt,’ adding: ‘I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.’
Gomez is now engaged to music producer Benny Blanco, real name Benjamin Levin, who is Jewish and has expressed support for Israel, tweeting that the country is ‘amazin’ in 2011. He was her date to the Oscars this Sunday.
A source recently told DailyMail.com that Gomez has resolved to ‘stay out of politics’ after a recent controversy over her video crying about Donald Trump’s immigration policy
A source recently told DailyMail.com that Gomez has resolved to ‘stay out of politics’ after a recent controversy over her immigration stance.
This January, as Donald Trump returned to the White House and announced plans to begin mass deportations of illegal immigrants, Gomez posted a social media video of herself weeping over the policy.
‘All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something but I can’t,’ she said in the video, sobbing profusely. ‘I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.’
A right-wing blowback quickly followed against Gomez, whose grandparents and aunt immigrated illegally to the United States from Mexico in the 1970s.
Gomez ultimately deleted the video, and a source informed DailyMail.com that she ‘realizes that she cannot go up against a Republican backed nation – many of whom are loyal customers of her Rare Beauty brand.’
The insider added that the globally famous pop star ‘does not wish to alienate’ and ‘is going to stay out of politics and in her own lane after that drama.’
Oscar winners 2025 full list – see who received honors for this year’s Academy Awards
Best Picture
Anora – WINNER
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Anora was the biggest winner of the night as Mikey Madison earned Best Actress
Best Director
Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker — Anora – WINNER
Brady Corbet — The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat — The Substance
James Mangold — A Complete Unknown
Actress in a Leading Role
Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison — Anora – WINNER
Demi Moore — The Substance
Fernanda Torres — I’m Still Here
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody — The Brutalist – WINNER
Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo — Sing Sing
Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande — Wicked
Felicity Jones — The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini — Conclave
Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez – WINNER
Zoe Saldana was recognized in the Best Supporting Actress category for Emilia Perez
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov — Anora
Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain – WINNER
Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce — The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice
Animated Feature Film
Flow – WINNER
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Cinematography
The Brutalist — Lol Crawley – WINNER
Dune: Part Two — Greig Fraser
Emilia Pérez — Paul Guilhaume
Maria — Ed Lachman
Nosferatu — Jarin Blaschke
Original Screenplay
Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER
The Brutalist — Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain — Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 — Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; co-Written by Alex David
The Substance — Coralie Fargeat
Sean Baker earned three individual honors for Anora in addition to Best Picture
Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown — James Mangold and Jay Cocks
Conclave — Peter Straughan – WINNER
Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
Nickel Boys — RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing — Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield
Achievement in Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked – Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales – WINNER
Achievement in Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two – WINNER
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Dune: Part Two won Best Achievement in Sound as Gareth John, Richard King, and Ron Bartlett are seen left to right
Original Song
El Mal – Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard – WINNER
The Journey – The Six Triple Eight
Like A Bird – Sing Sing
Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez
Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late
Original Score
The Brutalist — Daniel Blumberg – WINNER
Conclave — Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez — Clément Ducol and Camille
Wicked — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
The Wild Robot — Kris Bowers
Live-Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot – WINNER
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress – WINNER
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land – WINNER
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
No Other Land took home Documentary Feature Film as Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham are seen left to right
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra – WINNER
International Feature Film
I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance – Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli – WINNER
Wicked
Achievement in Costume Design
A Complete Unknown — Arianne Phillips
Conclave — Lisy Christl
Gladiator II — Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Nosferatu — Linda Muir
Wicked — Paul Tazewell – WINNER
Blockbuster Wicked did not come away empty handed as Paul Tazewell became the first Black male winner of Achievement in Costume Design
Achievement in Film Editing
Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER
The Brutalist — David Jancso
Conclave — Nick Emerson
Emilia Pérez — Juliette Welfling
Wicked — Myron Kerstein
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two – WINNER
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
