It earned him the title of Creep of the Oscars – But Scarlett Johansson has insisted John Travolta’s kiss was a ‘welcome’ encounter.
The Pulp Fiction star made headlines when he to put his arm around the actress’s waist and appeared to help himself to an unrequited peck.
The unfortunate photo – which also appeared to show the 30-year-old frozen in horror – quickly went viral and spawned a series of toe-curling memes.
Nothing to see here: Scarlett Johansson has debunked the already infamous picture of her getting kissed by John Travolta at last Sunday’s Oscars
But the actress insisted on Thursday that there is ‘nothing strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta’.
In a statement to the Associated Press, The Avengers star defended the 61-year-old, calling him a ‘class act’, and claiming the photo was just a victim of unlucky timing.
‘The image that is circulating is an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was very sweet and totally welcome,’ she said. ‘That still photo does not reflect what preceded and followed if you see the moment live.
Bring it on: In a statement to AP the 30-year-old, pictured in Los Angeles on Thursday, said the encounter was actually a welcome one
Classy: The actress said the 61-year-old was ‘a class act’ and that she hadn’t seen him in ages
Backstage: In a far less publicized shot, Scarlett can be seen happily embracing the actor
‘I haven’t seen John in some years and it is always a pleasure to be greeted by him,’ Scarlett, who was pictured out in Los Angeles on Thursday, added.
On that same night, Travolta was also mocked for pawing Idina Menzel’s face, one year after he flubbed her name at the same podium.
The pair had been matched to present together following Travolta’s infamous attempt to introduce her at last year’s Oscars, spectacularly mispronouncing her name as ‘Adele Dazeem’.
Bad timing: Johansson claimed the offending shot was an ‘unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was very sweet and totally welcome’
Adele Dazeem and Glom Gazingo: Travolta and Idina Menzel made fun of DazeemGate from last year, and the Pulp Fiction star’s rep claimed all the face touching was part of the act too
I got chills, they’re multiplying: The Internet wasn’t long filling up with funny memes of the encounter
In a hilarious spoof, Idina introduced her presenting partner as her ‘dear friend, Glom Gazingo’.
But things seemed to take a turn to the awkward when the Saturday Night Fever star continuously stroked the Frozen singer’s face.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
