Oscar’s audience gasps after Conan O’Brien cracks Epstein joke

• Conan O’Brien shocked Hollywood A-listers at the 2026 Oscars with a joke referencing Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, stating, “But at least they arrest the pedophiles over there.”
• The comedian's quip, made in response to the absence of British acting nominees, initially caused shock among the audience before applause ensued.
• The joke followed the January release of millions of files related to Epstein, which linked the convicted paedophile to various world figures.
• Prince Andrew was arrested in February 2026 for his ties to Epstein and is under investigation for misconduct in public office.
• The US president was mentioned in some Epstein emails, with one claiming he 'knew about the girls,' though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing and characterised efforts to release the full files as a “hoax”.

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Conan O’Brien shocks Oscars crowd with Epstein joke in opening monologue