Conan O'Brien's joke while hosting the Oscars about Drake being an alleged pedophile did not go over well with award show's host network, according to a report.

During the ceremony, O'Brien referred to Drake as a pedophile when he joked "Well we're halfway through the show which means it's time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile."

However, prior to the joke making it to air, it has been reported that there were reservations beforehand.

TMZ reports that ABC and the Academy had reservations before the joke aired but one producer of the show fought for it to make it to air. They go on to claim that O'Brien's joke writer, Skyler Higby, said that the comedian picking sides in the ongoing beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar was as funny as the joke was.

In "Not Like Us," Lamar delivers scathing critiques of Drake, accusing him of inappropriate relationships and questioning his authenticity within the hip-hop community. The track's chorus, repeating "they not like us," underscores Lamar's assertion of a moral and cultural divide between himself and Drake. The song also references Drake's album 'Certified Lover Boy,' labeling him as a "certified pedophile."

The release of "Not Like Us" had immediate repercussions. Drake filed lawsuits against Universal Music Group and iHeartMedia, alleging illegal promotion tactics to boost the song's airplay and defamation over the song's content. While Drake settled with iHeartMedia, his legal battle with UMG continues.

UMG has gone on to deny the allegations made in the lawsuit by Drake, and shared that they would never "undermine any of its artists", according to Billboard.

Notably, Drake had dropped a previously filed legal action over the matter, but had gone on to file the official lawsuit over defamation afterwards. The pre-action lawsuit was first filed in November and then withdrawn in January.

Tags
Drake, Conan O'Brien, Kendrick lamar