The writer behind Conan O’Brien's joke about Kendrick Lamar labeling Drake a "pedophile" says he bet the show's executive producer that it would kill. Around the halfway point of the event, the host referenced Lamar's recent performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. “We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” Conan said, before adding, “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”
Comedian Skyler Higley then revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he worked to get the joke into the show. "Wrote the Kendrick Lamar joke and bet our executive producer $50 that it would kill. just made $50," he posted. In a follow-up, he added: "Thank you to the academy and S&P for folding and not cutting this joke."
Drake "Not Like Us" Lawsuit
As Conan referenced, Drake has taken legal action against Universal Music Group over the promotion of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" diss track, on which the rapper calls him a pedophile. He alleges the company uses illegal means to boost the success of the song in an effort to devalue his brand amid his contract negotiations with the company. UMG has been trying to delay the proceedings. Most recently, they claimed that Drake's team is preparing to drop “key allegations” from the lawsuit. The Toronto rapper's attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, fired back at that in a letter to the court. “At the same time UMG has been delaying here, UMG launched new campaigns to further spread the defamatory content [‘Not Like Us’], including at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show,” he wrote, late last month.
As for the rest of the Oscars, Anora had a huge night at the event. The film took home Best Picture while director Sean Baker accepted several awards. Star Mikey Madison also won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Other big winners included The Brutalist, Wicked, Conclave, and more.
