Conan O’Brien’s Writer Stands by Oscars Joke Involving Kendrick Lamar and Drake

Conan O’Brien remained neutral regarding the conflict between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, according to the writer behind his sharp Oscars joke.

During the awards show on Sunday, March 2, O’Brien, 61, remarked, “We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile.” This jab was a clear nod to Lamar’s harsh Super Bowl LIX halftime performance in February, where he showcased his diss track aimed at Drake, “Not Like Us.” (In this track, Lamar infamously accused Drake of pedophilia, a claim that Drake has denied.)

Skyler Higley, the joke writer for O’Brien, stated to TMZ on Monday, March 3, that the quip was intended to resonate with the pop culture moment rather than to attack either artist.

“The notion that it’s being perceived as a genuine call-out or as taking sides in this feud is utterly ridiculous,” Higley, who collaborated on O’Brien’s previous TBS talk show, remarked to the publication.

In addition, during the Oscars broadcast, O’Brien also made some sharp comments about Best Actor contender Timothée Chalamet and Best Actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón.

“Timmy Chalamet is nominated for Best Actor tonight, you’re incredible and you look fantastic. I love that suit. You’re safe on your bike tonight,” O’Brien joked with the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, referencing the actor being fined for taking a rideshare bike to the London premiere of A Complete Unknown. “Safe! He’s an amazing actor. Timothée is up for his role as Bob Dylan, yes. Bob Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that much.”

Regarding Gascón, whose past controversial posts on X emerged following her Oscar nomination for Emilia Pérez, O’Brien humorously remarked, “Karla, if you tweet about the Oscars, just remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”

Following the ceremony, O’Brien disclosed that he had modified some of his jokes that evening.

“Sometimes you think, ‘We’ve got a solid joke here, but I’m not going to go ahead with it. It doesn’t feel right.’ We made numerous changes backstage,” O’Brien shared with E! News at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. “You just decide, ‘Oh, this is a better joke,’ or you come up with something spontaneously, and you roll with it, which can turn out to be a stroke of luck.”

Fortunately, O’Brien’s hosting style was well-received by the A-list attendees.

“There’s the anxiety leading up to it — preparing, getting everything ready — which lasts for months. Then, we worked so hard that by the time it was showtime, I couldn’t wait. And the crowd was fantastic. There were plenty of laughs, thank God,” he said to E! News.