Viewers slam Best Animated Short winner for snatching phone from wife during Oscars acceptance speech

A filmmaker who took home Best Animated Short at the Oscars has been slammed for his “gross” behaviour on stage towards his wife after their win.

A filmmaker who took home Best Animated Short at yesterday’s Oscars ceremony has been slammed online for his “gross” behaviour on stage towards his wife after their win.

Hossein Molayemi won the Oscar for his short film In the Shadow of the Cypress along with his wife and co-director Shirin Sohani.

But the happy occasion was overshadowed by a tense exchange the Iranian couple had during their acceptance speech when Molayemi snatched his phone from his wife to deliver the speech himself.

As they took to the stage to collect their trophy, they were quick to express their excitement over winning the award, especially since they had only obtained their US visa just one day prior and touched down in Los Angeles Airport hours before the ceremony.

“Actually, we hadn’t obtained our visa until yesterday, and we were totally disappointed. So disappointed. And now we are here!” Sohani told the audience inside the Dolby Theatre.

As it turns out, the duo had prepared a speech earlier on Molayemi’s phone because they were worried about not being “native English speakers”. However, due to their excitement, they jumped the gun and ad libbed once on stage.

Co-directors Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani won Best Animated Short Film at the 2025 Oscars. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Sohani ad libbed onstage, but Molayemi did not want to stray from the pre-prepared speech on his phone. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Molayemi then quickly handed Sohani the phone so she could read out their prepared speech instead, but everything just went pear-shaped from there.

“We’re going to dedicate our … oh my God, it’s your turn,” she said, before handing the phone back to Molayemi, who replied, “This is your turn, but this is the first paragraph” and gave the device back to her.

“Just the fact that we managed to make the film under extraordinary circumstances of our country is a miracle. And yes, if we persevere and remain faithful, miracles do happen,” Sohani read out loud as Molayemi watched over her shoulder.

Not happy with his wife’s delivery, Molayemi snatched the phone from her hand and started the speech from the beginning. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Appearing unhappy with how his wife was delivering the speech, Molayemi snatched the phone from her hand while she spoke.

“No, no, no. Let me read it myself,” he said, before pretty much reading out exactly what Sohani told the crowd prior.

“Until yesterday, we hadn’t even obtained our visa and we were totally disappointed, and now we are standing here with this statuette in our hands. Also, just the fact that we managed to make this film under the extraordinary circumstances of our country is a miracle,” he read.

“Yes, if we persevere and remain faithful, miracles do happen. We’re going to dedicate our film and this precious award to all those who are still fighting in the inner and outer battles, heroically, and nobody knows about that. Especially to all fellow Iranians who are suffering.”

Although he tried to use his platform to speak of the plight of his fellow citizens, the message was lost on the crowd who couldn’t get over the fact he dismissed his wife and spoke over her.

“That guy snatched the phone from her because he said she wasn’t saying the words correctly … but mama actually memorised half of the Oscars speech in English … and was doing a great job … only for him to READ the same words she had just said,” one viewer tweeted on X. “I didn’t like that.”

As the pair celebrate their win, social media erupted as users condemned Molatemi’s actions towards Sohani. Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

“Gross, that guy Hossein Molatemi grabbing the speech from his partner Shirin Sohani and expressing disappointment in her reading then he goes onto reread the same exact text – no differently at all – just gross,” another tweeted.

Yet another user commented: “A real shame that Hossein Molayemi abruptly cut off his co-writer and co-director Shirin Sohani instead of gently pointing to the bit in the speech he wanted her to read.”

The couple’s 20-minute film, In the Shadow of the Cypress, is an animated movie that follows a former captain living in a house by the sea with his daughter as her battles post-traumatic stress disorder.

Due to some challenges, the self-funded film took the duo more than six years to make. Although not autobiographical, it is inspired by Sohani’s experience living with her father, a former soldier who was affected both mentally and physically by the Iran/Iraq war.

Originally published as Viewers slam Best Animated Short winner for snatching phone from wife during Oscars acceptance speech