The rumors are true: Jenny the Donkey, the beloved mascot of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” did not attend the 95th Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel admitted on Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” !”
One of the most memorable parts of Sunday’s ceremony was the miniature donkey wearing a shiny gold “emotional support” sash. Kimmel led her onstage and pointed out co-stars like Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in the audience before taking her to catch a flight on “Spirit Airlines.”
But it didn’t take long for the internet to figure out that she wasn’t the real one.
“Everyone was super excited to see her, but it caused some controversy,” Kimmel said, referring to headlines that labeled the cameo a “fraud.”
In fact, the stand-in was a male donkey named Dominic, Kimmel admitted: “We didn’t think it was a good idea to fly a donkey from Ireland, so we hired a donkey from Los Angeles. Maybe you figured it out like lip fillers and implants.”
The host personally apologized to everyone who was upset that they didn’t get to see the “genuine” Jenny. “It will never happen again, I promise,” he joked.
On the subject of animals, he turned to the mystery of who played the bear in an appearance with “Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks.
Once again, internet hounds tried to take him down, with guesses ranging from Timothée Chalamet to Jessica Chastain, who attended the ceremony.
“He was a celebrity, that’s correct,” Kimmel said. “And that celebrity was… DJ Jazzy Jeff!”
A photoshopped image of the DJ appeared on the screen as Kimmel urged everyone to “report” the “absolutely true” news.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” was nominated for nine Oscars, winning zero. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, the film stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan.
Check out the clip of Kimmel above.
