It appears that Ariana DeBose is putting a joke read by Bella Ramsey at the Critics Choice Awards in her rearview mirror.
On Monday, the West Side Story actress, 32, was spotted hugging it out with The Last of Us star, 20, at the 2023 Emmy Awards just hours after she responded to a joke aimed at her and other “actors who also think that they’re singers.”
Social media account Pop Crave shared a photo of the two taking a moment while inside the Peacock Theater during the awards show.
“Bella Ramsey and Ariana DeBose hug it out at the #EMMYs,” the account shared in a tweet that has been viewed more than 100,000 times.
During Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards, DeBose — an Academy Award winner and Tony nominee — was caught off-guard when presenters Ramsey and Anthony Ramos took the stage and made a joke that seemed to accuse her of being unable to sing.
“And then there are the actors who also think that they’re singers,” Ramsey said during the show. “Jack Black, Ariana DeBose, and Ken himself, Ryan Gosling.”
The camera cut to DeBose, a Broadway veteran who appeared in Hamilton and who went on to win an Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, who did not look impressed by the comment.
Fans quickly wondered whether the sketch was a bit and DeBose took to her Instagram Story to comment on the joke, writing, “No I didn’t find it funny. Lol.”
DeBose attended the show for her role in the Disney animated film Wish, which was nominated for three Critics Choice Awards, including Best Song for “This Wish,” which DeBose’s character, Asha, sings. The song lost out to “I’m Just Ken,” which is performed by Gosling’s Ken in the hit Barbie movie.
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, originally set to take place last September, was postponed due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Hosted by Anthony Anderson at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the ceremony will air live Monday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and will be streamed Tuesday, Jan. 16 on Hulu. Keep checking ETonline.com for complete Emmys coverage and for the full winners’ list.
RELATED CONTENT: