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Tems clears the air about her viral Oscars dress, says there was no ‘view blocking’
Nigerian singer Tems has addressed the viral controversy surrounding her iconic dress at the 2023 Oscars, disputing rumors that she blocked anyone’s view during the event.
In an exclusive interview with “Harper’s Bazaar, Tems shared the backstory behind her memorable fashion choices, including the flowing white dress she wore to the Academy Awards.
Recalling the moment with amusement, Tems said, “This dress, the famous dress. It was a huge deal, and it was my first Oscars. When I first saw this dress, I was like, ‘This is quite much, this is quite a lot for me. It looks like a cloud or a flowing stream.’ I felt like a princess in the dress, and people were taking pictures of me and with me even if they didn’t know me. Even prestigious old white men took pictures with me, and I was like, ‘They don’t know me,’ but they just thought I looked cute.”
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Tems went viral during the prestigious event because she was thought to be blocking other attendees with her large statement piece hood. Reflecting on the incident, she explained the misconception, emphasizing that she had no time to change into her second outfit.
“We were supposed to change from this dress inside, but we didn’t get the time to, and they scooped my stylist away, so I was stuck with this,” she narrated. “That’s how it became this whole viral moment with the blocking. But there was no blocking, I need to put that out there. The person behind me loved what I was wearing, and he could see because the stage was up, so nobody looked straight.”
Tems concluded, “When I meet anyone in fashion, they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re the girl, you’re the one who caused all that trouble that day.'”