Blac Chyna's Baffling Oscars Appearance Explained

Controversial social media star Blac Chyna made people see red, specifically the red carpet, at the 2020 Academy Awards. According to E! News, she was among the earliest arrivals, and she made quite an entrance. Wearing "a plunging black velvet Dona Matoshi gown with dark blue fringe, jeweled accents, and a thigh-high slit," she had all eyes on her and all hands scratching their heads. Chyna wasn't a nominee or a presenter; she was just present.

Fans and celebs alike were utterly flummoxed. Twitter users unleashed a barrage of disbelief in 280 characters or less. Many argued she didn't belong in the spotlight. Actor and comedian Billy Eichner quipped, "Loved her in Marriage Story," which is either a joke about her seemingly out-of-place arrival or a jab at her unsuccessful marriage to Rob Kardashian. 

So what gives? Why did Blac Chyna unexpectedly grace the red carpet at the 92nd Academy Awards?

Even before she set foot on the red carpet, Blac Chyna was a walking contradiction of sorts. Born Angela Renée White, her aliases are even at odds with each other. E! News reports that Chyna went from serving wings at Hooters and taking tips as a stripper to spreading her own wings and taking bold stands for female empowerment. She and model Amber Rose famously appeared at the 2015 MTV Awards with misogynistic slurs such as "slut" written on their clothes. However, in 2018, Chyna arguably struck a blow against the empowerment of black women by promoting her skin-lightening cream, Whitenicious, in Nigeria, where an estimated 77 percent of women regularly try to lighten their skin, per the Independent. 

It seems that nothing is truly black and white with Chyna, but one thing that remains consistent is that she owns the spotlight, putting her personal complexity on display and making headlines all the way. Perhaps the Oscars served as the perfect stage for yet another memorable yet confusing performance?

Chyna did post some Oscar outfit footage to her Instagram Stories, — so that red carpet appearance was not a mirage — but we're still waiting for an official explanation about this surprising invite. 

While Blac Chyna has walked quite a few red carpets over the years, 2020 marked the first time the social media star strutted her stuff at the Oscars. And since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, Chyna seemingly pulled out all the stops so she could look her best on Hollywood's biggest night.

Chyna hired celebrity nail artist Marie Nailz to help with her mani for the award show. The nail artist took to Instagram to share multiple close-ups of the star's silver, gem-encrusted nails, writing: "92nd ACADEMY AWARDS @blacchyna ROCKING MY NAILS I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE NEVER STOP GOING FOR YOUR DREAMS."

The star's glam squad for the night also included makeup artist Alexandrè Valenzuela, who used Lashed Cosmetics to get Chyna red-carpet ready. One look at Valenzuela's Instagram account and it's clear that the makeup artist and Chyna collaborate often. In fact, Valenzuela was the one responsible for another one of Chyna's surprise award show appearances earlier in the year...

2020 is shaping up to be a year of monumental firsts for Blac Chyna. In addition to making her Oscar debut, the mom of two also attended her first Grammy Awards. Makeup artist Alexandrè Valenzuela took to Instagram to document the night — one that held special significance for the MUA and his client.

Alongside a screenshot of an E! News headline that read: "Blac Chyna Makes Surprising 2020 Grammys Appearance in Fiery Look," Valenzuela wrote, "Surprisingly today was my first RED CARPET and also Chy Chy's first for the Grammy's..." The makeup artist added, "We probably glammed over 100 times but today was a day for both of us that was exciting."

There's been no official word as to why Chyna was at the Grammy Awards or the Academy Awards, but based on her Instagram account, it seems like Dream Kardashian's mom is just trying to live her best life. On Instagram, alongside a photo of her Grammy's look, Chyna wrote, "I'm living my life to the fullest, focus on the positive #grammys."

If the 2020 Grammys and Oscars are any indication, we wouldn't be surprised to see Chyna pop up on more award show red carpets than ever this year.