Man tries to steal Frances McDormand's Oscar at aftershow ball

The security team at the annual post-Oscars Governers Awards Ball is looking for a man who tried to make off with Frances McDormand’s statue for Best Actress, according to reports.

New York Times reporter Cara Buckley tweeted a picture of the man dressed in a tuxedo, holding the gong.

Apparently, McDormand had ‘set [the statue] down’ for a moment and ‘was chatting’ when the man took it.

According to the tweet, he grabbed the statue and made for the door, where he was met by Wolfgang Puck’s photographer – celebrity chef Puck was providing the catering for the event.

After the statue was retrieved, the man went back into the ball, though it’s claimed that McDormand had said to let him go.

A report in USA Today confirmed that McDormand had indeed misplaced her Oscar.

She was said to have been spotted ‘crying emotionally’ outside the event, and had then left with director husband Joel Coen.

But a rep for McDormand confirmed that she was back in possession of the statue, though there was no mention of it being stolen.

“Fran and Oscar are happily reunited and are enjoying an In-N-Out burger together,” confirmed the representative.

McDormand delivered the speech of the night after scooping Best Actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

“And now I want to get some perspective,” she told the audience.

“If I may be so honoured to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight, the actors – Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, c’mon – the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographer, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. C’mon!

“Look around, ladies and gentleman, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed, don’t talk to us about it at the parties tonight, invite us into your office, we’ll tell you all about them.”

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