THE OSCARS - The 96th Oscars held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. JIMMY KIMMEL, JOHN CENA© Getty Images

John Cena's naked Oscars stunt almost didn't happen and left people 'crying', Jimmy Kimmel tells all

The Ricky Stanicky star paid homage to a streaker at the 1974 Oscars

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
March 12, 2024

Jimmy Kimmel reported back to work on Monday night to Jimmy Kimmel Live! after hosting the 96th Academy Awards on March 10 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

The late night host broke down some of his favorite moments from the night, including Ryan Gosling's "I'm Just Ken" performance and some of his best gags, and finally broke down the bit that got everyone talking.

John Cena stole the show in a bit that paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of a streaker running across the stage at the 1974 Oscars, walking out onto the stage almost completely naked to present the award for Best Costume Design (which went to Poor Things).

Jimmy broke down the work that went into the skit on the air, saying: "Getting this on the air…of all the times I've hosted the Oscars or the Emmys or anything, no comedy bit has ever received more scrutiny than this."

He explained that there was so much hesitancy before getting it approved in the first place that it almost didn't happen. "There were meetings and site meetings, emails and texts and phone calls and people sweating. 

"Somebody was crying," he continued. "Then once they realized we weren't going to take no for an answer … there was intense discussion about the envelope."

© Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel broke down John Cena's Oscars bit

Jimmy revealed that the producers wanted an even bigger envelope to ensure that absolutely nothing was visible, and showed their original design, which was much larger than the one John walked out with.

"I'd say congratulations, John Cena," Jimmy concluded. "The commotion you caused. Very rarely does an idea literally push the envelope and this one did."

MORE: Meet Jimmy Kimmel's wife and lookalike four children: Inside his blended family – photos

In a conversation with Variety after the Oscars, Rob Mills, the executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, spoke more in depth about making sure that the Ricky Stanicky actor looked as much as possible like a "Ken doll" during his Oscars bit.

"I'm going to educate you a little here," he explained. "A bulge cannot be showing, and you can't show crack. It was also, 'What happens if he drops that card?' 

RELATED: Al Pacino responds to Oscars controversy after breaking from tradition at the ceremony

"So, we made sure that, for all intents and purposes, he looked like a Ken doll up front. His crack was covered in the back and then the envelope was Velcro-ed on there so it wouldn't fall. But beyond that, he was naked." Backstage photos from the show did reveal that the actor's private parts were covered with skin-toned fabric.

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"I'd say congratulations, John Cena...The commotion you caused. Very rarely does an idea literally push the envelope and this one did."

Oscars executive producer Molly McNearney (also an EP on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Jimmy's wife) added of the Standards & Practices (S&P) executives: "They were sweating!

MORE: Oscars 2024: The records broken by Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, and more

"I think at the end we all got to a spot where we were comfortable, S&P was comfortable, and it didn't compromise the comedy a bit. I was very thankful that we didn't have to send him out there in tighty whities, which I'm sure legal would have preferred."

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Oscars producers affirmed that they wanted him to look like a "Ken doll" without the envelope with the help of some strategic fabric and velcro

And she maintained that yes, they did want John to be nude. "That's what I wanted! Maybe it's not what [S&P] wanted. That's definitely what I want!"

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