E! Plans 30-Second Delay for Ryan Seacrest’s Oscars Red Carpet

E! is reportedly planning to delay their “live” coverage of the Oscars red carpet with Ryan Seacrest by 30 seconds to allow for editing, as the host faces allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

The news comes from insiders that spoke to The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet reached out to E! about the delay, and the network wouldn’t confirm nor deny the scoop. The network said that this year’s Live From the Red Carpet would be “business as usual,” adding, “As always, we tape multiple sources of content simultaneously to deliver the best possible show, and there are often brief delays between interviews.”

Still, the extra time between the camera and the telecast raised a few eyebrows, as many people in the entertainment industry aren’t too keen to see Seacrest of the red carpet in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The host has been accused of repeatedly harassing and even assaulting his former stylist, Suzie Hardy. Hardy claims she lost her job at E! after reporting the incidents through human resources and the proper channels.

An independent investigator hired by E! said that there was not enough evidence to support Hardy’s claim. Still, in the spirit of supporting, empowering, and believing women, many who align with the #MeToo movement are nervous to run into Seacrest at the award show.

Live broadcasts often insert a few seconds of delay in case unexpected curses need to be censored. However, the 30 second buffer is a big more than usual, and may be there in case someone confronts Seacrest about the allegations on air.

A few actresses spoke openly about their nerves for the red carpet circus, including Lea Thompson. Jennifer Lawrence talked about it as well, during an appearance on Howard Stern’s show.

“I don’t know about the Ryan Seacrest thing,” she said. “I think it is scary, you know. He has not been to trial for anything. I am not a judge. I am not a jury… that is where this stuff gets tricky.”

The founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, told Variety that E! should not be putting women in this awkward position by sending Seacrest in the first place.

“I feel like we should be celebrating the fact that people are finally paying attention to what we’ve been talking about for decades,” she told Variety in preparation for the Oscars. To her, that means re-evaluating all protocols, including the 11-year-long tradition of Seacrest hosting the Oscars for the network.

“They really shouldn’t send him,” she said plainly. “We shouldn’t have to make those choices of, ‘Do we or don’t we?’”