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Oscars bartender spills behind the scenes secrets and reveals what happened after the Will Smith slap
The 94th Academy Awards was meant to be a celebration of the craft of filmmaking, but the ceremony was overshadowed by rushed award presentations, a tone deaf “In Memoriam” section, controversial winners and the slap that broke the internet.
Offering a glimpse into the reaction of the onlookers toward Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock was Daniel Ralston, who bartended the glitziest night in Hollywood:
Bartended the Oscars. Everybody stopped drinking after the slap.
Nicest celebs of the night were Reba and Rami Malek.
— Daniel Ralston (@danielralston) March 28, 2022
The slap has already generated a huge number of memes, and the uncensored clip uploaded to The Guardian’s YouTube channel on Monday morning has, at present, been viewed almost 68 million times. The shocking incident certainly sobered up the attendees, many of whom went on to applaud Smith for his subsequent win of the Best Actor accolade.
Ralston’s mention of Rami Malek (Best Actor winner in 2018) sparked several replies which pointed out that Malek’s time at the bar may have left the recent Bond villain stirred and shaken:
Ooh so you hand a hand in getting Rami all sloshy? pic.twitter.com/SDZBGPGc0L
— Anthony Carter (@anthonyin3D) March 28, 2022
As for what Malek was drinking – Ralston recollects that he mixed the star a Lemondrop (prepared using vodka, lemon juice, triple sec and simply syrup), though he conceded that there were limits to what he could divulge in his capacity as a private bartender:
Hello to anyone who followed me for hot celebrity gossip. That is the extent of what I can tweet about my job as a private event bartender, unless you want drink recipes. I think I was making a Lemondrop in this pic. pic.twitter.com/MwrdcZOCd1
— Daniel Ralston (@danielralston) March 28, 2022
He did have one other anecdote from his time working at the most dramatic ceremony in Tinseltown:
Also overheard an excellent interaction with a celebrity couple. They asked where they could smoke. It was suggested they go to the 5th Floor lounge. They responded with, “Is there somewhere closer, where the bartenders smoke?”
They were taken to the dumpsters.
— Daniel Ralston (@danielralston) March 28, 2022
The identity of the mystery smoking couple is yet to be confirmed, though that didn’t stop speculation in the replies. The guests may have stopped drinking after the incident, but they could still have enjoyed the beverages included in the complimentary gift bag given to nominees, including wine and vodka.