Was John Cena really naked at the Oscars?

Iconic moments in Oscar history (minus the slap) were a big theme at the 96th Academy Awards last night, with a series of guest stars and the four acting categories featuring previous winners paying individual tributes to this year’s nominees.

One infamous moment at the 1974 Oscars, when a streaker invaded the stage while actor David Niven was preparing to introduce Elizabeth Taylor, was recreated fifty years later, with the help of host Jimmy Kimmel and actor/wrestler John Cena.

“Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today? Wouldn’t that be crazy?” Kimmel teased, with Cena popping up behind the curtain, sans clothing. After some convincing from the comedian, Cena took center stage, covering his privates with an envelope containing the winner’s name followed by a long pause before presenting the Best Costume Design category.

“Costumes,” Cena began, before being drowned out by uproarious laughter from the audience, “they are so important, maybe the most important thing there is”.

Cena called Kimmel for help in announcing the nominees, as he was using the envelope to preserve his modesty. When the winner was eventually revealed, a quick change during the clip reel saw Cena wearing a gown of sorts, so he could open the envelope.

The wrestler-turned-actor certainly seemed nude, as the envelope left little to the imagination. On the internet, theorists even went as far as claiming that Cena was taking part in a “humiliation ritual” – a term dubbed by comedian Katt Williams, in which he claimed that Hollywood is pressuring men to wear feminine clothing or otherwise ditch their masculinity and embarrass themselves to gain acceptance.

Was John Cena actually naked?

As shown in behind-the-scenes photos, John Cena was wearing a discreet, nude-colored cloth on his groin and buttocks, often referred to as a “modesty garment” in TV and film productions. These garments create the illusion of nudity for actors but preserve their modesty and ensure nothing is exposed that could be considered inappropriate.

It is unlikely that a live event such as the Oscars, especially on a Disney-owned channel like ABC, would run the risk of showing graphic nudity, especially after an unlucky few years for the Academy (remember in 2018 when Emma Stone’s performance in La La Land briefly won Best Picture?).

Audience-filmed footage from the ceremony shows stagehands helping a not-actually-nude Cena change into his costume for the next stage of the planned bit, which probably wouldn’t have been so hands-on, should the 46-year-old had actually been nude. However, the sketch did show how much effort goes into creating TV and movie magic from behind the scenes.