The 94th annual Academy Awards wasn't all about the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock – it also prompted movie star John Travolta's son to adopt a dog. And not just any dog either!
During the Memorandum part of the Oscars ceremony, actor Jamie Lee Curtis appeared on stage at the Dolby Theatre holding an adorable puppy called Mac N Cheese.
Paying tribute to Betty White, the animal rights activist and actor best known for her role in The Golden Girls, Curtis urged people to adopt pets from the non-profit organization Paw Works – and Travolta's son, Ben, was only too happy to oblige by taking on Mac N Cheese herself!
The 68-year-old star of Pulp Fiction and Grease revealed the news on Instagram, saying: “Ben adopted this dog from last night's Oscar tribute to Betty White.”
Curtis, aged 63, then followed up in an Instagram post of her own, calling the adoption “a magical ending”. She said someone had texted her a photo of the 68-year-old Pulp Fiction and Grease star holding the puppy in the green room before his presentation of the Best Actor Oscar but she didn't know what the pair were planning at the time.
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“I thought it was so beautiful to see him with her and then today I found out that he and his son, Ben, have adopted beautiful Mac N Cheese and are taking her home today. It's an emotional end and a perfect tribute to Betty White.”
Paw Works was also thrilled and the organization took to Instagram to say the puppy was the “biggest winner of all” adding, “we know Betty White was shining down last night.”
News of the adoption by Travolta's 11-year-old son follows a wealth of support for donations to animal shelters following the death of White on New Year's Eve, aged 99. Social media users spread the word under the hashtag #BettyWhiteChallenge and it's clear White's work had struck a chord with Curtis.
“She was not only a Golden Girl, she was a legend,' Curtis said during the ceremony. “She brightened every room she walked in and brought a smile to all who watched her on the screen day in and day out, for almost a century.”
'She was a woman who cared so much for not just her two-legged friends but for animals just like this one. So, the greatest gift you could give Betty White is to open your heart and your home and adopt a rescue dog just like Mac N Cheese from Paw Works.”
