Teyana Taylor had a front-row seat to a very big night for director Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another at Sunday night’s (March 15) 2026 Academy Awards. The actress was seated right next to her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and she was overjoyed when Anderson finally won his first best director Oscar — as well as best picture and best adapted screenplay awards — for the lauded drama about an ex-revolutionary who is forced to go on the run after years of hiding.
Taylor was less pleased a short time later, however, when she was making her way to take a celebratory photo with the rest of the cast. According to footage from a video posted after the awards show, a peeved Taylor can be heard saying, “because you’re a man putting your hands on a female,” as she confronts an unknown person amid a scrum of celebs in their awards show finest.
“You’ve very rude,” she added repeatedly as she pointed to the person and her companion attempted to calm the situation by grabbing Taylor’s hand and steering her away as she repeated her claim that the man was “putting his hands on a female,” adding “he literally shoved me.”
The incident involving Taylor, who was nominated for her first Oscar on Sunday for best supporting actress, reportedly took place just seconds after the awards show broadcast ended, with TMZ reporting that unfolded as Taylor was trying to get back to the stage for the Best Picture photo with her co-stars. The actress was making her way to the shoot with Warner Bros. co-CEO Pamela Abdy, when a security guard reportedly tried to stop them from going up the stairs.
Sources told TMZ that the security guard attempted to use his body to block Taylor and reportedly placed a hand on her while trying to physically prevent her from moving past him, with things quickly escalating and the guard later asking Taylor to apologize to him for her response. At press time spokespeople for the Oscars and Taylor had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the incident.
While Taylor lost out to Weapons star Amy Madigan for supporting actress, she was overjoyed over the course of the night to celebrate PTA’s wins, as well as a best supporting actor trophy for her co-star and twisted movie love interest Sean Penn, who was not on hand to accept his award.
