22 Years Later: Halle Berry Shocking Adrien Brody on 2025 Oscar Red Carpet with a Surprise Kiss!
Two decades after their unforgettable Oscars moment, Halle Berry turned the tables on Adrien Brody with a surprise kiss at the 2025 Academy Awards red carpet.
Before taking the stage to present this year, she noticed Brody, who was nominated for The Brutalist, and took the opportunity to "give him some payback" for the famous kiss they shared at the 2003 Oscars.
"It was a huge night for both of us. I was part of his moment... Tonight, I had to return the favor," she told Variety's Marc Malkin, while jokingly adding, "I've run into him at parties, but tonight is the first time I've bumped into him on a red carpet since that night. He's nominated this year, and he deserves it."
Their first meeting occurred at the 2003 Oscars when Berry presented the Best Actor award to Brody for his performance in The Pianist. As Brody took the stage, he reached out, grabbed Berry, and kissed her while playfully commenting, "I'm pretty sure they didn't tell you this was in the gift bag." The kiss, along with Berry's shocked reaction, made headlines around the world.
As he reflected in a recent Variety cover story on the issue, Brody acknowledged how the times have changed: "We live in a very conscious world, which is a fantastic thing. Nothing I've done, and nothing I will do, is ever meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable." Berry, for her part, showed nothing but support for Brody's career, congratulating him on his recent Golden Globe win for The Brutalist, and thus beginning to mend the years of tension between them. "You are so one of a kind, my friend," commented Berry on a post by Brody on Instagram. This year, Brody is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor, amongst others. He plays the role of László Tóth, the Hungarian-Jewish architect, and Holocaust survivor. Currently, Berry remains the only Black actress to have won Best Leading Actress, earning an Oscar in 2002 for Monster's Ball.