Inside the Oscars afterparty – tearful celebrations, unexpected reunions

KiMi Robinson and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYMon, March 16, 2026 at 11:35 AM UTC

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LOS ANGELES – At the Governors Ball – the Oscars' official afterparty – it was one winner after another raising their newly engraved statuettes in glorious victory and celebrating Hollywood's biggest night with their loved ones.

Best actor and actress winners Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley ascended the trophy engraving platform as the celebration was in full swing Sunday, March 15. Jordan, who smiled as he watched a woman affix a gold plaque etched with his "Sinners" win on his new hardware, beamed when he saw his sister, Jamila Jordan-Theus, join him on stage.

The actor rushed to her, the two sharing a 10-second embrace as flashes erupted around them. Jordan-Theus cackled as they rocked back and forth, and Jordan tucked her arm into his so they could witness his first Oscar win become cemented in Academy Awards history.

Michael B. Jordan rushed toward sister Jamila Jordan-Theus and embraced her for 10 seconds before the two watched his Oscar statuette being personalized.

Buckley, who laughed in disbelief upon seeing the flock of admirers watching the winners get their flowers, shared a smooch with husband Freddie Sorensen after presenting her statuette to the Academy staffers. And "Golden" winner EJAE, after stopping for several minutes' worth of fan photos, joined cowriters Zhun, Yu Han Lee and Mark Sonnenblickas in capturing videos of the plaque being screwed on to their "KPop Demon Hunters" trophy.

"I'm just so proud of her," EJAE's fiancé, Sam Kim, said as he gazed up at her from below the stage.

Those who took home a coveted Oscar weren't the only ones celebrating at the Wolfgang Puck-catered event. "Hamnet" producer Steven Spielberg, "Frankenstein" star Jacob Elordi, presenter Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and performer Sterling K. Brown also made an appearance at the fifth-floor afterparty.

From winners' post-Oscars elatedness to snippets of conversations, these were some other moments we observed at the Governors Ball.

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After journeying up several escalators, "Golden" singers Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna – whose voices were featured on the hit "Demon Hunters" soundtrack – let out a collective cheer as EJAE joined them at the party's entrance.

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EJAE wiped at her face and shared the trophy with her fellow singers as their entourage joined in celebrating their golden glory.

Kieran Culkin compliments Michael B Jordan's authenticity

As Jordan had his statuette personalized, 2025 best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin observed, in a side conversation, that the "Sinners" star seemed to be genuinely soaking up his win without any pretenses.

"No one wants to hear your bit unless you’re Kristin Wig or Maya Rudolph," he said.

Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong have a warm 'Community' reunion

From Greendale Community College to the Academy Awards, "Zootopia 2" voice actor Yvette Nicole Brown and "K-Pop Demon Hunters's" Ken Jeong remain fond of each other through it all.

The two "Community" alumni, who are expected to reprise their roles as Shirley Bennett and Professor Chang in the 2009-2015 show's highly anticipated film, shared a laugh near the entrance. When they spotted each other near the trophy station, Jeong gave Brown a sweet peck on the cheek.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscars afterparty – All the celeb interactions, emotional moments

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