- The "Barbie" cast, including Margot Robbie, surprised many by wearing black to the Oscars.
- Fans wondered if the cast was protesting Robbie and director Greta Gerwig's snubs by the Academy.
As the night of the Academy Awards neared, the question on everyone's lips seemed to be the same: What will Margot Robbie wear?
The "Barbie" star has become a red-carpet darling since the movie's campaign began with its summer 2023 release. Robbie has repeatedly made headlines over the last eight months with her bright-pink ensembles and designer looks that recreated iconic Barbie outfits.
So many were confused when Robbie arrived at the Oscars on Sunday night in a simple black, strapless Versace dress.
And she wasn't alone in her dark color choice. Fellow "Barbie" stars Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, and Simu Liu wore all-black suits, while Issa Rae opted for an AMI Paris gown made of a deep-green fabric.
Some Oscar viewers immediately took to social media to question if Robbie and the cast protesting were the fact that she and director Greta Gerwig hadn't been nominated for their respective categories. Others wondered if the cast was mourning the end of the "Barbie" era.
As Page Six first noted, comments flooded a post on Check The Tag's Instagram page as fans questioned whether Robbie was sending a message with her stark-black dress.
"I think this dress is a protest against the Academy…all black, no accessories, hair and makeup very neutral," one person wrote.
"Black because she was snubbed. Take a stand girl! Don't give them what they want!" another added.
But these fans were ignoring the fact that one "Barbie" star was wearing Barbie pink — America Ferrera.
Ferrera, who received a supporting actress nomination for her work in the film, wore a Versace dress that sparkled from head to toe. According to ABC News' red-carpet show, the dress was made of pink chainmail and took 400 hours to make.
It was a showstopping dress that finally gave Ferrera — who mostly wore black during the "Barbie" press tour — her big red-carpet moment. And it was on the night of her first Academy Award nomination, a major career milestone vastly overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Robbie and Gerwig's snubs.
Dubbed "BarbieGate" by The Hollywood Reporter, many fans were outraged that Gosling received a supporting actor nomination while Robbie, who plays the titular role, was ignored. They also questioned how Gerwig could be left out of the best director race when the movie garnered eight Oscar nominations and made over $1.4 billion, breaking multiple box office records.
The discourse became so intense that Hillary Clinton even chimed in with an Instagram post saying Robbie and Gerwig were "so much more than Kenough."
Yet many seemed to forget that "Barbie" still earned America Ferrera her own noteworthy acting nomination. Only a handful of Latina actresses have been nominated for an Oscar, and none have ever won best actress.
Gerwig and Robbie still received nominations for best picture and adapted screenplay, yet Ferrera was asked to comment on their snubs while celebrating her nomination.
So it seems the "Barbie" cast ensured that Ferrera finally had her well-deserved moment as she walked the red carpet on Sunday. And she shined as Rita Moreno, the first Latina to win an Oscar, paid tribute to her onstage before the winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, was announced.
"America, your powerful Barbie monologue is perhaps the most talked-about moment in the most talked-about movie of the past year," she said. "Your words and the passion with which you delivered them about the most impossible standards females must try to live up to galvanized not only women but everyone with a pulse."
In her sparkling pink dress, it was finally Ferrera's turn to be Barbie.