Why Cate Blanchett Really Told Julia Roberts to 'Suck It'
When Cate Blanchett won her Oscar, she shocked everyone by telling Julia Roberts to 'suck it.' Was it a bitter rivalry or a private joke? The truth behind one of the most bizarre awards show moments is stranger than you think, involving a secret pact and a less-than-stellar year.
Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts are two of the most respected actors of their time, so they've naturally crossed paths at countless industry events over the years. But at one Academy Awards ceremony, their friendship took a strange public turn. When Blanchett accepted one of Hollywood's highest honors, she used her moment in the spotlight to tell Roberts to “suck it.” The comment left audiences baffled. Was this the start of a feud, or was it just a bizarre inside joke?
A Bizarre Oscar Moment
The moment in question happened when Blanchett won her second Best Actress Oscar for her role in Blue Jasmine. Roberts, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for August: Osage County, had just lost to Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave. It seemed like a classic case of a winner gloating over a loser, but the truth was a bit more complicated and involved a shared sense of disappointment.
The two acclaimed veterans are actually good friends, which only added to the confusion that night. They had apparently made a deal beforehand, deciding that if either of them got on stage, they would give a memorable send-off to what they both considered a completely forgettable year. For reasons they kept to themselves, 2013 just hadn't been their favorite, and they wanted to see it go out with a bang.
The Aftermath and Evasive Answers
During her speech, Blanchett looked out into the audience and said, “Julia, hashtag suck it.” Backstage, when reporters immediately questioned her about the odd remark the Australian Oscar winner was evasive. “It happened in the bar with Ms Roberts, and that’s all I’m prepared to say,” she stated. When pressed again on why she chose the biggest night in Hollywood to channel the humor of a teenage boy, Blanchett again dodged the question. She did, however, offer a playful warning by looking directly into a camera, pointing her finger, and saying, “Watch it, Julia, I’m coming for your ass.”
A Pact Revealed
For over a year, the mystery lingered. The Lord of the Rings alum finally shed some light on the situation during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The topic of her telling Roberts to suck it was brought up again, which wasn't surprising since it happened on a global broadcast and it's not every day you see an Oscar winner tell a peer to do something like that on live TV.
“It was a pretty crappy year, so it was like, ‘Farewell 2013,’” Blanchett explained. “We said that if either of us had the good fortune to be up there, we had to kiss it on the ass, goodbye. I didn’t kiss her ass… I wouldn’t mind.” It was a strange explanation. Her on-stage comment was directed specifically at Roberts, which is a far cry from kissing a year goodbye.
A Decade-Long Punchline
A full decade later, the story got another chapter. While accepting the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress for her role in Tár, Blanchett shared that Roberts had given her a bottle of mouthwash backstage on that Oscar night. What that might imply is left to the imagination.