As well as leaving Oscar viewers feeling emotional following his heartfelt tribute to Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman tonight sparked the curiosity of many watching the festivities from home for another reason.
Walking out onto the stage, the Hollywood legend was seen donning a single glove on his left hand. But why?
It turns out, the 87-year-old has been seen with this unconventional fashion accessory on a handful of occasions before.
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In fact, it's been several years since Freeman's glove made its debut.
In 2023, the Tennessee native attended the 95th Academy Awards alongside fellow A-lister Margot Robbie to mark 100 years of Warner Brothers Studios. The pair's appearance shocked fans, however, with many noticing he was wearing what appeared to be an elbow-length black glove.
His appearance sent social media into meltdown at the time - but it turns out, there's a very logical reason for his accessory choice.
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In 2008, Freeman was involved in a major car accident in 2008.
At the time, the Shawshank Redemption actor had been driving near his home in Charleston, Mississippi, when his vehicle flipped over multiple times.
According to a report released by The Guardian, Freeman and a female companion were cut free from the car by emergency workers and were airlifted over 90 miles to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Due to his sustained injuries, the father-of-four was forced to undergo four hours worth of surgery and was left with permanent nerve damage and shoulder pain.
Freeman’s limbs began to swell as a result of the injury and he has worn a compression glove to keep the blood flowing ever since.
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Speaking in 2010 about his horrific injury, the Dark Knight star said: "If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?"
He later told Esquire that his fibromyalgia had been impacted by the car injury, with the shoulder pain shooting ‘up and down’ his arm.
As we say, Freeman's latest on-screen appearance saw him hosting the 97th Academy Awards' In Memoriam segment, where he began by paying tribute to fellow actor Gene Hackman.
"I lost a dear friend," he began. "I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films - Unforgiven and Under Suspicion.
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"Like everyone whose ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer, and a man whose gifts elevated everyone's work."
Hackman was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday (26 Feb).
Speaking of the star, Freeman continued: "He received two Oscars, but more importantly, he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world."
Oscars 2025 results: the nominees and winners announced so far
Best supporting actor
Yura Borisov - Anora
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Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain - WINNER
Edward Norton - A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce - The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong - The Apprentice
Best animated feature
Flow - WINNER
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best costume design
Wicked - WINNER
Nosferatu
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Best original screenplay
Anora - Sean Baker - WINNER
The Brutalist - Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain - Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 - Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
The Substance - Coralie Fargeat
Best adapted screenplay
A Complete Unknown - Jay Cocks and James Mangold
Conclave - Peter Straughan - WINNER
Emilia Pérez - Jacques Audiard
Nickel Boys - RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing - Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
Best make-up and hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance - WINNER
Wicked
Best film editing
Anora - WINNER
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
Best supporting actress
Monica Barbaro - A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande - Wicked
Felicity Jones - The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini - Conclave
Zoe Saldaña - Emilia Pérez - WINNER
Best production design
Wicked - WINNER
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Conclave
Best original song
'Never Too Late' - Elton John: Never Too Late
'El Mal' - Emilia Pérez - WINNER
'Mi Camino' - Emilia Pérez
'Like A Bird' - Sing Sing
'The Journey' - The Six Triple Eight
Best sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two - WINNER
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Best visual effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two - WINNER
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Best cinematography
The Brutalist - WINNER
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu
Best original score
The Brutalist - WINNER
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Best international feature
I'm Still Here - Brazil - WINNER
The Girl with the Needle - Denmark
Emilia Pérez - France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig - Germany
Flow - Latvia
Best actor
Adrien Brody - The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet - A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo - Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes - Conclave
Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice
Best director
Jacques Audiard - Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker - Anora
Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat - The Substance
James Mangold - A Complete Unknown
Best actress
Cynthia Erivo - Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón - Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison - Anora
Demi Moore - The Substance
Fernanda Torres - I'm Still Here
Best picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I'm Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Topics: Celebrity, US News, TV And Film, Oscars
Rhianna Benson