The 96th annual Oscars kick off on Sunday, March 10, and the fanfare has us remembering all the wild and crazy things that have happened during ceremonies past—especially that time host Jimmy Kimmel brought a donkey onstage.
With the elite ceremony being live, off-the-wall events are bound to happen, and with nearly 100 Oscars in the books, there have been plenty of opportunities for slip-ups. No one can forget the infamous slap, of course. And there was also the time the academy accidentally awarded LA LA Land with Best Picture when Moonlight actually won. But our favorite unexpected Oscar happening was planned.
In 2023, Jimmy Kimmel walked on stage with an adorable miniature donkey! He claimed the animal was Jenny from The Banshees of Inisherin and explained to the happily shocked crowd how he got her to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
“Not only is Jenny an actor but, she’s a certified emotional support donkey,” Jimmy shared. “At least, that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland. So if you’re feeling upset or didn’t win, or you’re anxious, or maybe you just love mules, feel free to come up and give her a hug.”
“… Alright,” he continued. “Let’s get you back on that Spirit Airlines flight now, huh?”
The Special Oscars Guest Wasn’t Jenny the Donkey Though…
It was later revealed that “Jenny” wasn’t actually Jenny. Instead of making the pint-sized mule take an international flight simply to make a minute-long cameo, Jimmy brought a local donkey to the show.
During the Jimmy Kimmel Live episode that aired the night after the Oscars, the comedian admitted they made a change-up.
“It wasn’t Jenny. It wasn’t even a female donkey,” Kimmel explained. “The donkey’s name is Dominic. It’s a male donkey. We didn’t think it was a good idea to fly a donkey over from Ireland, so we hired an L.A. donkey.
Jenny or not, seeing a cute donkey saunter on stage during the Oscars was definitely the highlight of the ceremony. So we weren’t mad that it was a bit of a ruse.
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