Keri Russell appeared to chide her partner Matthew Rhys in behind-the-scenes footage after he failed to thank her in either of his two Emmys victory speeches on Monday night in Los Angeles.
Rhys, 51, made history as the first star to win two lead actor awards in different categories on the same night, taking home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his Apple TV+ show Widow's Bay. Despite the milestone, the Welsh actor forgot to mention Russell, 50, his partner of 12 years, in either speech.
In footage shared by Yahoo News reporter Taryn Ryder, Russell was seen swatting Rhys's hand away as he tried to wrap her up for a picture with a photographer backstage. She then pulled him in close and kissed his cheek for the cameras before the pair sat down, where she patted her hand on his shoulder while speaking to him. It is unclear what she said.
Fans online speculated the hand-swat was a reaction to the double snub. One person on X wrote, "Why did she push his hand away? I hope they don't break up."
Rhys tries to make amends
Following the mishap, Rhys appeared to try to cover his tracks, telling reporters backstage that he would not display his two new Emmys at home until Russell wins one of her own. Asked where the awards would go, he explained to Variety that his prior Emmy for The Americans has been kept in the basement.
"It's a long story. It's in the basement because I kind of said when Keri wins one, I'll take mine out," he said.
Rhys also joked that his family had been betting on whether he or Russell would win on the night. "It's not playful, it's all serious," he quipped. "I put a lot of money on myself... It's gonna be a rough week for her." He went on to call Russell "always a class act," adding that she "is always really the winner, and I think next year she might get one."
Two speeches, two snubs
During his first acceptance speech, for The Beast in Me, Rhys did not utter Russell's name and did not appear to glance at her before getting up, though he did stop to hug his co-star Claire Danes, who jumped to her feet looking shocked, mouth open, and stretched out her arms for a hug that saw the pair rock back and forth as she touched his face.
One person on X posted a video of the hug, writing, "Matthew Rhys doesn't even look at Keri Russell next to him, and doesn't thank her."
Rhys opened that first speech with a confrontational joke, warning, "If you try to turn me off, I'll stab you in the eyes with this [award]." He called the win "a real shock, not least because of the caliber and company of the actors in this program," thanking Danes for "letting me join the mystery machine" and calling her an "intimidating scene partner."
Later in the broadcast, Rhys had a chance to correct the slight when he was called up for his second award of the night, but he again did not mention Russell. He opened the speech by joking, "My apologies to the women who had to stand," a nod to Danes skipping the hug the second time around, though she still stood to applaud.
In the audience, Martin Short was shown on the broadcast comically tearing up his own acceptance speech after losing out on the award. Rhys credited Widow's Bay creator Katie Dippold, saying, "This is purely because of the depraved and twisted mind of Katie, and her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain." He also thanked his parents and his sister, who he noted was in the audience, joking she "was the brains of the outfit all along" and thanking her "for all the sage words and patient listening."
Russell's support and her own loss
Despite being left out of both speeches, Russell appeared to remain supportive, letting out a big cheer and applauding enthusiastically from their table when Rhys won his second award. One X user who shared video of the moment wrote, "THE CHEER FROM HER...... all that matters all that matters."
Ryder also shared video from inside the theater showing Rhys returning to Russell with one of his Emmys, embracing her and posing for a photographer before the two leaned in for a kiss.
The night brought disappointment for Russell on the awards front. She had been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat but lost to Rhea Seehorn for Pluribus.
