Oscars host Conan O’Brien shocked Hollywood A-listers with a “pedophile” joke about Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew at the 2026 ceremony.
The TV host and comedian didn’t name the duo directly, but he referenced the furore surrounding the Epstein files when he made a point about the absence of any British acting nominees.
“For the first time since 2011, there are no British actors nominated,” O’Brien said, adding: “But at least they arrest the pedophiles over there.”
The crowd didn’t seem to know how to react to the joke, with shock seeming to ripple across the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. However, applause then broke out.
Millions of files related to the case of Epstein were unveiled in January, linking the convicted paedophile to world figures, including Bill Gates and Donald Trump.
But it was disgraced royal Prince Andrew – full name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – who was arrested in February 2026 for his ties to late sex offender Epstein and is under investigation for misconduct in public office.
Trump has skirted any accusations about his ties with former financier Epstein, although many of the initial wave of the emails, released in November 2025, mention the US president. In one email, Epstein claimed the future US president “knew about the girls”.
However, Trump, who at the time said he would sign a bill to release the files if passed, told reporters that he “knows nothing” about the emails.
Back in January, comedian Nikki Glaser also made a joke about the Epstein files.
Directing her attention to the high-profile crowd, which included stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts, Glaser dmitted that she couldn’t believe “the amount of star power we have in this room tonight.”
She continued: “It’s insane. There’s so many A-listers. And by A lists, I do mean people who are on A lists that have been heavily redacted.”
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