According to reports from the Dolby theater, BlackKklansman director Spike Lee was upset that Green Book won the Best Picture, and tried to leave the ceremony before the speeches had concluded.
“I’m snakebit. Every time someone’s driving somebody, I lose,” he later told reporters backstage, in reference to his breakout film, “Do the Right Thing,” losing the Oscar for Best Screenplay to “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1990. “I thought I was court side at the Garden and the refs made a bad call.”
Reportedly, after presenter Julia Roberts announced Green Book as Best Picture, Lee waved his arms in anger before storming out of the theater. However, before he could leave, he was stopped at the doors and was forced to return to his seat once the speeches had stopped.