Shane is dealing with backlash after his interviews with Julia Fox and Damson Idris.

Here’s why influencer Jake Shane is facing criticism for his red carpet hosting gig at Vanity Fair Oscars party

Shane is dealing with backlash after his interviews with Julia Fox and Damson Idris.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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March 17, 2026 5:58 p.m. ET

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Quen Blackwell and Jake Shane doing an interview on the Vanity Fair Oscar party red carpet. Credit:

Vanity Fair/YouTube

Kris Jenner isn't the only one asking why Jake Shane was hosting the red carpet at *Vanity Fair*'s illustrious Oscars party.

The popular influencer and podcaster is taking heat for his questions and behavior at Sunday night's event, at which he interviewed celebrities alongside fellow TikTok personality Quen Blackwell.

In two separate incidents, Shane ranted at Julia Fox and Damson Idris about his problems with *If I Had Legs I'd Kick You* and the sick child at the center of the film. Written and directed by Mary Bronstein, the Oscar-nominated drama stars Rose Byrne as Linda, a therapist worn down by the daily pressures associated with her job and caring for her young daughter (Delaney Quinn), who has a disorder that requires nightly supplemental feeding through a tube.

"Do you think that kid was annoying," Shane asked Fox, a single mother who broke out in *Uncut Gems*, which was co-written by Bronstein's husband, Ronald. "You know that kid was so damn annoying."

Fox refused to co-sign that statement, instead responding with a eloquent take on the stresses of motherhood.

"It's not that it's the mother's fault or the child's fault — it's society's fault," she declared. "It sets mothers up to fail. Even the fact that school gets out at 3, but most jobs are done at 5 or 6. All those little things are not conducive to mothering."

The actress then made sure to exit the interview, saying, "I feel like we've dragged this on."

Jake Shane attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Amy Sussman/Getty for Vanity Fair

And then when chatting with Idris, the star of *F1*, who also named *If I Had Legs* as a favorite of his, Shane once again asked about "finding the daughter so annoying."

Following a nervous laugh, Idris replied, "I'm not gonna say that." Shane began screaming at Idris, "You know it! She said, 'Mommy, mommy, mommy!' Shut the fuck up, damn!"

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The performance of Shane only added fuel to the debate over influencers effectively replacing journalists at red carpets and as interviewers at other events and platforms. (Shane has proudly shared that he will happily edit out any part of his podcast, *Therapuss*, should the guest simply ask him to. )

"Like anything, red-carpet reporting is a craft," wrote *Variety*'s Daniel D'Addario. "It ought to be practiced by people who know what they're doing."

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister echoed those sentiments.

"Influencers make interesting and entertaining content," she tweeted. "But there is a time and a place for everything. And the red carpet is not it. Red carpet reporting is a tough job and a specialized craft. To do it well (and to make it look easy) requires preparation, skill and quite frankly, years of experience. This award season proved why red carpets should be left to entertainment journalists and studied hosts."

Shane's presence on the carpet with a mic on Sunday night even caught the Kardashian matriarch, Kris Jenner, off guard.

"How did you get this gig," she wondered. In a fitting reply, he declared, "I don't know, honestly."

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