Scarlett Johansson released an official statement to the
Associated Press Thursday defending John Travolta, who she calls "a class
act."
The photos of Travolta kissing her on the cheek on the red
carpet of the Academy Awards have become their own meme, with Photoshop ninjas
adding in the bodies and faces of everyone from Kanye to Putin. Johansson
looked distinctly uncomfortable in some photos, but stated that they were taken
out of context.
"There is nothing strange, creepy or inappropriate
about John Travolta," Johansson's statement reads. "The image that is
circulating is an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was
very sweet and totally welcome…That still photo does not reflect what preceded
and followed if you see the moment live. Yet another way we are misguided,
misinformed, and sensationalized by the 24-hour news cycle. I haven't seen John
in some years and it is always a pleasure to be greeted by him."
It's a classy move by the superstar, who appeared in A Love Song for Bobby Long with Travolta
in 2004. Travolta's attempts to rectify last year's "Adele Dazeem"
moment seem to have backfired, as social media and blogs lit up like Christmas with
photos of the actor kissing Johansson, caressing Idina Menzel's face, and photobombing
Benedict Cumberbatch. Other photos from the evening show Travolta being greeted
happily by Johansson and others. [Page Six]