NEWSRyan Seacrest Responds to Sacha Baron Cohen Dumping Ashes: "It Wasn't the Wind"
Feb. 27 2012, Published 3:19 p.m. ET
Ryan Seacrest was not "in" on Sacha Baron Cohen's act on the 2012 Oscars red carpet. The E! News host is speaking out on the ash dumping incident, explaining he knew Sacha was planning something as The Dictator, but he didn't know what.
Ryan's look of complete shock on the red carpet was real. He had no idea Sacha would dump "ashes" on his tuxedo during their interview on E! News.
"He arrived and I remember before the show… someone from a publicity office called and said, 'Hey, would you guys be interested in the Dictator?' We said sure, fine. When we said yes, in the back of my head, I said, This guy isn't coming as the Dictator to not do something — to what extent, I don't know," Ryan explained. "Whether it be a joke or something physical, I don't know."
"I definitely did not know that he was going to do that," he added of the ash dumping, which was thought to be pancake mix.
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Ryan couldn't tell what was happening until it was already too late.
"This urn… was getting closer to my chest," he recalled. "Then it tipped over, and it wasn't the wind. He spilled it on my tuxedo."
"I was surprised, but not surprised," Ryan admitted.
Luckily, Ryan had taken his mother's advice and brought a second jacket in case of a wardrobe emergency.
While Ryan really didn't look too happy on air after the ash dumping occurred, he was able to make jokes about it after.
"A lot of people hitting up afterparties tonight... me?" he Tweeted. "I'm hosting a pancake breakfast tomorrow."
