John Travolta Explains That Whole 'Adele Dazeem' Thing

And does a bunch of other weird stuff at this year's Oscars
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 23, 2015 9:42 AM CST

John Travolta and Idina Menzel presented an award together at last night's Oscars, a year after the Academy Awards ceremony in which Travolta famously flubbed Menzel's name, presenting her as "Adele Dazeem." Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Travolta finally explained that 2014 moment. He thought he was going onstage in 15 minutes when a page grabbed him to tell him he only had a minute and 15 seconds. But backstage, he was distracted by Goldie Hawn. She's "charismatic, sexy, beautiful, she's got an amazing thing, and I was starstruck," he said. "I'm starstruck hugging and loving her up and forgetting that I have to go and do this bit." Then, as he was rushed onstage, he was told that the teleprompters would be showing Menzel's name spelled phonetically, which isn't how he'd rehearsed it. As he tried to read it aloud, "In my mind, I'm going, what? What? What is that name? I don't know that name," he explains.

Of course, next year, Travolta may find himself having to explain all the weird stuff he did at this year's Oscars. He actually did address one thing on Kimmel—his excessive touching of Menzel's face while they were onstage together (examples in the image gallery, or watch it here)—by noting, "Apparently I played with her chin too much." But he made headlines for two more incidents:

  • On the red carpet, he swooped in to give Scarlett Johansson a surprise (and very awkward-looking) kiss on the cheek. In return, she gave him some pretty epic side-eye. Click to see the pictures (and some of the resulting memes).
  • Then, sitting behind Benedict Cumberbatch in the audience, Travolta was photographed apparently staring intently at Cumberbatch, leading to yet more memes (with captions like: "I'm going to kill you, Brendadirk Cramplescrunch").
Click for more of the ceremony's "most GIF-able moments." (More John Travolta stories.)

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