Angelina Jolie’s Leg once went viral at the Oscars (Photo Credit – Koimoi)
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Dressed in a jaw-dropping strapless black velvet gown by Atelier Versace, Jolie flaunted a daring thigh-high slit that showcased nearly all of her leg. Posing with one hand on her hip, Jolie radiated confidence as cameras flashed.
At 36, Jolie was already a red-carpet regular. Still, this moment catapulted her into the viral stratosphere, igniting media buzz, countless memes, and even social media accounts devoted to “the right leg.” Her bold look starkly contrasted the pristine white gowns worn by stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Milla Jovovich. Ironically, Jolie had set the icy trend just a month prior at the Golden Globes in a stunning white satin Versace dress.
The leg reveal became an iconic Oscars moment when Jolie presented the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Her on-stage flair drew admiration, prompting winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash to mimic her backstage pose. Rash insisted it was a “loving tribute,” not a mockery. Fashion critics chimed in, with The New Yorker’s Judith Thurman naming her the “best-dressed” for flaunting her “to die for” legs. Meanwhile, Harper’s Bazaar praised how Jolie “embraced her sultry side,” and Vogue’s André Leon Talley celebrated her transformation of black velvet into a “super-sexy” statement.
But not everyone was impressed. TIME magazine labeled the look “boring,” scoring “right leg: 1, black dress: 0.” Critics in Philadelphia Magazine deemed Jolie’s pose “comical and pathetic,” claiming she appeared “aloof, arrogant, and snotty.” This scrutiny extended to her weight, sparking heated debates. Some tabloids even went as far as to label her “emaciated,” a comment that didn’t sit well with many.
In the court of public opinion, reactions varied widely. A now-defunct parody Twitter account, @AngiesRightLeg, gained over 34,000 followers in just two days. Its posts included quips like, “Look at the leg!” and “You have to admit I’m one hell of a leg.” Yet, a Glamour magazine survey revealed that about three-quarters of readers were “not into” Jolie’s “pose-y stance.”
Surprisingly, Jolie later claimed she hadn’t noticed the commotion. “I heard something, but I didn’t pay any attention,” she told The Huffington Post. “It’s as simple as being a woman picking a dress you like and having a night.” A few years later, at the premiere of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, she explained that comfort guided her dress choice. “When you feel comfortable, you embrace it,” she shared.
Ultimately, Jolie’s leg made waves, foreshadowing a trend for thigh-high slits in fashion. Labels like Balmain and Jean Paul Gaultier showcased similar styles on their runways shortly after the Oscars. Other stars, including Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson, soon followed suit on red carpets. The New York Times dubbed this surge in exposed thighs “The Angelina Effect,” a term that later described the increase in women opting for preventive double mastectomies after Jolie’s own experience.
In a reflective moment, Donatella Versace reminisced about the iconic dress in a Wall Street Journal interview. “Sometimes you don’t know which dress is the best,” she mused. “But when you see someone wearing the dress, it can become fantastic.”
Angelina truly put her best foot—er, leg—forward that night, leaving an indelible mark on red carpet history!
