Tems had a fashion moment at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday (March 12), as she wore a white one-shouldered tulle dress with wrap-around shoulder detailing and a thigh-high split made by Lever Couture.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Tems attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
As gorgeous as the gown is, the Nigeria-born crooner received backlash for obstructing the view of a few Academy Awards attendees who sat behind her. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter was nominated that night for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s “Lift Me Up,” which she co-wrote with Rihanna.
Tems took to Twitter to clap back at critics with a simple, “Oops.”
“Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud,” one Twitter user wrote while sharing a photo of the “Essence” singer standing out in the audience.
“I guess the people behind the white veil don’t get to see the show,” wrote another person.
On Monday (March 13), Tems responded to the backlash by posting more photos in the gown. “Uh Ohh!” she captioned a 10-photo carousel.
A plethora of her famous friends showed their admiration for her breathtaking look in the comments section.
“You looked stunning,” wrote Naomi Campbell, as Yung Miami and Snoh Aalegra both sent fire emojis. Singer/songwriter Sevyn Streeter commented, “Gorgeous,” while Foushee said, “Bestestest dressed.”
Unfortunately, Tems didn’t get to show off the dress on stage as “Lift Me Up” lost out on Best Original Song to “Naatu Naatu” from the film RRR, which made history as the first Indian film song to win an Oscar.
However, the night belonged to Tems and her dress.