Conan O’Brien made a bold opening to present the 98th Academy Awards by giving an opening speech which grabbed the attention of the audience instantly at Dolby Theatre. The late night host did not wait long to get highly controversial subjects covered such as convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Britain’s Prince Andrew, and made jabs at the British acting nominees being nonexistent this year. It is the first time in 2011 that the British actors are not nominated, O’Brien joked. But there they get the pedophiles arrested at least.
Did Conan O’Brien Just Take A Dig At Donald Trump And The Epstein Scandal In His Fiery Opening Monologue At Oscars 2026? Watch Video
The line left a moment filled with silence and then the applause occurred as the audience digested the shocking punchline and the audacious nature of the joke. The sources cited by O’Brien are directly connected to the world news of recent times. The joke was a reference to the new Epstein documents that reportedly implicated the scandalous financier with a number of high profile personalities, including Bill Gates and Donald Trump.
Conan o’brien calling out trump and every other pedophile in the epstein files at the Oscars! Conan you will never make me hate you pic.twitter.com/tqYL3dthv6
— jason 🦥🪐 (@spongebobsloth) March 15, 2026
In February 2026, Prince Andrew, the formal Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was arrested on grounds of his connections with Epstein and is being investigated on alleged misconduct of office. Although Epstein was in custody awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died in 2019, his network of influential associates has continued to be the focus of the news. The monologue is a serious look at the situation, but O’Brien adhered to his customary comedic tone, mixing jokes about famous persons like Timothée Chalamet, Sean Penn, and Ted Sarandos with implicit references to politicians and unarrested names in the Epstein files.
Oscars 2026 Live
In addition to humour, O’Brien provided insight into the world situation and the strength of cinema. He recognized how the audience knew there were chaotic times and he asked the viewers not to forget the position that cinema played in bringing about collaboration, resilience and optimism. There was also a hint of political satire, such as a reference to Donald Trump, and O’Brien mocked the renaming of John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts to the John Trump Center. Combining humor, social commentary, and chilling notes, O’Brien set a very strong atmosphere at the start of the Oscars, balancing humor with contemplating on serious issues that still make headlines around the globe.
