Elton John hosted his annual Academy Awards viewing party at West Hollywood Park in California on March 10th, joined by his husband David Furnish, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka. Several stars, including Gabriel, took the stage to perform, with many big names joining in to dance the night away. Among the celebrity guests were Heidi Klum, Elizabeth Hurley, Zoe Saldana, and Jonathan Scott. Alongside enjoying dinner and participating in an auction supporting the Elton John AIDS Foundation, attendees watched Jimmy Kimmel host the 96th Oscars from the nearby Dolby Theater, eager to see which nominees would take home a trophy. The 32nd annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party reportedly raised nearly $1 million to support the foundation's efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic.
Notably, Harry and Meghan were absent from the event. Despite Meghan's expectation of being paid to attend such gatherings, it appears even as a duchess, she had to shell out money to be part of the scene. This snub follows reports that Harry and Meghan's request to borrow Elton's private jet for travel to Austin, Texas, was denied, despite having received a free flight from him previously. Additionally, there's speculation about Meghan's strained relationship with Serena Williams after Serena declined their request to use her jet for travel to Invictus, opting instead to dine with Kim Kardashian in Paris.
The reluctance to associate with Harry and Meghan extends beyond Elton John's party. David Furnish, who had worked with Meghan on a project, likely found the experience challenging. Furthermore, Harry's displeasure at Elton's business dealings with a tabloid that had treated them poorly led to tension between the two. Despite Harry and Meghan's aspirations to become power players in Hollywood, they have been noticeably absent from major events during the awards season. Many wonder why Elton did not invite them to his party, speculating that his straightforward nature likely led him to simply refuse their presence, citing their potential to disrupt the event with their drama.
