We came. We saw. We danced with Chaka Khan. It was yet another star-studded night at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party, and the celebrities wrapped up awards season in true Hollywood style: accidentally stepping on a gown and/or having your gown stepped on. Booze was flowing, In-N-Out burgers were passed, and there was even barefoot dancing … all before more shenanigans went down at valet parking. As a cure for your Oscars hangover, here’s a glimpse into what you would have seen at the biggest and one of the most exclusive Hollywood parties of the year.
The Couple That In-N-Outs Together
If ScarJo is bummed about not taking home a trophy, it doesn’t show. Just before 1 a.m., Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson and her fiancé, Colin Jost, kicked it with one another while sitting and talking under an indoor tree close to one of the party’s bars. While he snacked on a lettuce-wrapped In-N-Out cheeseburger, she sipped on a drink, and they basically just chatted like besties. She stood first, and he followed; then when a male guest approached to talk and take a selfie, they politely obliged before walking out of the party holding hands.
The Cool Kids
When Camila Morrone and Hailey Bieber beeline together through a party, you better believe the partygoers around them move. The duo fiercely charged through a crowd with a few other guests in their entourage to sit and chat in a circle in a secluded back lounge area. Just a few minutes later, Timothée Chalamet, who was sipping on red wine, waited for them and followed their lead as the group filed out (with Morrone saying a quick good-bye to Lucy Boynton on the way).
The Powwow of the NightÂ
Picture this: Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix celebrating his victory with chats and laughs outside on the packed back patio in a circle with his partner, Rooney Mara, to his right. He’s in an animated conversation with Billie Eilish, who’s directly across from him and part of this small circle. Did everyone know they were friends? Well, they are now. (They do have a lot of awards to bond over.) Just minutes after the group disperses, Josh Gad and Abigail Spencer catch up in the same spot, with Shia LaBeouf mingling just behind them.
Riverdale and Bubbly
Riverdale actresses Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, and Madelaine Petsch traveled in a close-knit pack on the dance floor while holding glasses of Champagne. As Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic†played, Reinhart and Mendes bopped around while Petsch had a major fangirl moment with Chrissy Metz, jumping for joy while talking to her. (Antonio Banderas was leaning on the bar next to them but didn’t engage.)
Dance-Floor Veteran Chaka Khan
Watching Chaka Khan party is a true delight. After the music icon was posted up alone outside smoking a cigarette — and loving every minute of the alone time — she hit the dance floor, and she hit it hard. Literally kicking off her Sunday shoes, she was barefoot while busting a move to Chic’s “Everybody Dance,†then fist-pumping to the Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker.â€
Valet Hero Zach Braff
In the later hours, while waiting for his car at valet parking along with a few guests, Zach Braff put on an impromptu comedy show. As a valet called out actor Cary Elwes for his car, Braff copped the attendant’s tone and also yelled Cary’s name, shouting, “I love Cary of Princess Bride.†As the valets continued to shout names, Braff threw in “O.J. Simpson!†to really get a crowd laugh. Meanwhile, Florence Pugh was chuckling in Braff’s group and having a cigarette. While waiting, Braff told a female guest that her dress was very pretty and that she looked like a “princess.†Finally, Braff’s car was ready, and when the valet mocked him, yelling, “You’re a wonderful actor!,†Braff responded, “Thank you, sir!†Pugh literally cackled along with Braff.
The Wingman MVP
Cynthia Erivo was aggressively escorted through the packed party while Lena Waithe quickly and carefully trailed behind her trying not to step on her dress and repeatedly saying, “Sorry, sorry!,†under her breath.
A Casual Encounter
As Connie Britton made her way through the party with a glass of almost-gone Champagne in one hand and the train of her dress in the other, she bumped into Charlize Theron by the bar, and the two had a moment while Michael Jackson’s “Shake Your Body†was blasting through the room. “Oh my God, I know, I know!,†Britton said to Theron, touching her arm. Meanwhile, Finn Wittrock was just one step over, ordering a drink.
Security Denies Rami Malek
Together with his girlfriend, Lucy Boynton, and another Bohemian Rhapsody co-star, Joseph Mazzello, Rami Malek attempted to walk the group out of the party and back through the entrance (i.e., the iconic red carpet). At that point, security wasn’t letting anyone exit out that way, and not even Malek, who took home an Oscar last year, was able to sway them. So, out the side exit with everyone else they went.