The public thought John Travolta was “weird” and “creepy” at the Oscars on Sunday when he was captured on camera wrapping his arms around Scarlett Johansson‘s body to plant a friendly kiss on her cheek, but the “Avengers” actress wants everybody to know “he’s a class act.”
In a statement released to the Associated Press, Johansson declared “there is nothing strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta,” and blamed the “24-hour news cycle” for making a big deal out of the red carpet greeting.
“The image that is circulating is an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was very sweet and totally welcome,” Johansson said. “That still photo does not reflect what preceded and followed if you see the moment live. Yet another way we are misguided, misinformed and sensationalized by the 24-hour news cycle. I haven’t seen John in some years and it is always a pleasure to be greeted by him.”
The public’s opinion that Travolta was invading Johansson’s space was cemented during the Oscars broadcast when he took the stage with “Frozen” star Idina Menzel to atone for famously butchering her name at the 2014 Academy Awards.
While the “Grease” star, who Menzel introduced as “Glom Gazingo,” pronounced her name correctly this time, he decided to rub his hands all over her face while doing so.
What many viewers interpreted as an awkward moment, however, was actually planned — according to Travolta’s publicist, at least.
“It was rehearsed in total,” Travolta’s representative said in a statement to the media. “John Travolta loved working with Idina Menzel.”
