Angela Bassett and Ariana DeBose Shutterstock (2)
Taking it all in. Angela Bassett reached out to Ariana DeBose after the West Side Story star’s BAFTAs rap went viral.
“I DM’d her last night. I did. It was beautiful,” Bassett, 64, told Variety at the NAACP Awards on Saturday, February 25. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay because, you know, it’s a lot of attention. And she is A-OK.”
Later that evening, Bassett won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in 9-1-1, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the top prize of the night: Entertainer of the Year. When she took the stage to accept her final trophy, she cheekily referenced DeBose’s rap.
“I guess Angela Bassett did the thing, huh?” she laughed at the top of her acceptance speech.
DeBose, 32, shared the clip via Instagram Story and congratulated Bassett.
Ariana Debose and Angela Bassett Al Seib/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The Oscar winner opened the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 19, with a dedication to the females nominated for their work. DeBose sang “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves” and “We Are Family,” but an original rap was the most memorable part of the high-energy performance.
“Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my Woman King,” DeBose said during the segment. “Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
Social media users became obsessed with the rap, with some playfully roasting the performance and others saying it should he included in Bassett’s acceptance speech at the Oscars (assuming she wins the best supporting actress category).
Angela Bassett, winner of the Entertainer of the Year award and Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series award for ‘9-1-1’ poses in the press room at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that DeBose deactivated her Twitter account amid the hype. However, she has made her feelings clear via Instagram.
“The internet is wild y’all! . Appreciate all the love ,” she captioned several photos and videos referencing her rap.
The first clips showed Lizzo rapping DeBose’s famous line at a recent concert while another video showed Adele referencing the rap during one of her Las Vegas shows. “We did learn that Angela Bassett did the thing, didn’t we?” the “I Drink Wine” songstress joked. “I love her though. I love Ariana.”
DeBose also shared a picture of a bouquet sent by Wanda Sykes with a card that read, “I loved it! YOU did the thing.”
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The actress asked friends on Sunday via Instagram to keep sending her the funny references. She shared snapshots of a fortune cookie and a Barry’s gym sign that nodded to her meme as well.