Actress Mckenna Grace made her Oscars red carpet debut on Sunday.
The former child actress dazzled in her pink outfit, turning heads with her style. However, Grace, who attended the event with her rumored boyfriend, Mason Thames, grabbed attention for a completely different reason.
The 19-year-old made a surprising style choice with her Oscars outfit that impressed netizens.
Highlights
- Mckenna Grace made a memorable debut on the Oscars red carpet with a playful and unexpected accessory choice.
- The young star’s candid red carpet moment quickly went viral, drawing enthusiastic reactions from fans online
- Grace also attended the ceremony with rumored boyfriend Mason Thames, sparking fresh buzz about their relationship.
Here’s why Grace’s red-carpet moment at the 98th Academy Awards went viral.
Mckenna Grace paired her Oscars gown with an unexpected accessory
Image credits: Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Mckenna Grace attended the Oscars in a Vera Wang pink satin gown. Her overall appearance was reminiscent of Gwyneth Paltrow’s look at the 71st Academy Awards.
However, it was her choice of accessories that truly caught fans’ attention.
During a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Scream 7 actress revealed what she had tucked into her pockets.
“You wanna see what’s in my pocket?” she asked.
Image credits: JC Olivera/Getty Images
Grace then pulled booster packs of the Pokémon trading card game from her pockets. She admitted to being a fan of the TCG and wanted to open some packs during the event.
“I wanna try and be the first person to open Pokémon cards at the Oscars,” she confessed.
In an Instagram story, Grace revealed she had pulled Lillie's Clefairy Ex, a full art card from the Journey Together set. She also admitted to carrying card sleeves in her pocket to store her latest pulls.
“Can I officially say I’m the first person to ever open Pokémon cards at the Oscars?” she wrote.
Fans react to Mckenna Grace opening Pokémon cards at the Oscars
Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Grace’s red carpet confession about her love for Pokémon cards went viral on social media.
On X, fans praised the actress for turning the cards into an accessory that complemented her classy red carpet look.
“This just makes me love her even more,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “She is so classy.”
Others demanded that Grace be cast in the next live-action Pokémon movie.
At the event, she was also asked about joining another major franchise after her casting as Daphne Blake in Netflix’s Scooby-Doo series was recently announced.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Grace admitted that she was obsessed with Daphne, her favorite character from the series.
“I’m so excited. I love Daphne,” she shared.
Mckenna Grace responded to Mason Thames’ red carpet confession
Image credits: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Grace attended the ceremony with Mason Thames, who wore a black Saint Laurent tuxedo.
On the red carpet, the actor was asked about his feelings for Grace and confessed he loved her “to d*ath.”
In response, Grace also admitted that she loved Thames, seemingly confirming their relationship.
“I love him to d*ath. He’s the best,” she said.
The duo starred opposite each other in the 2025 film Regretting You, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name.
Image credits: Savion Washington/Getty Images
In June 2025, they sparked dating rumors after being photographed holding hands in New York City. Last month, Thames shared photos from a trip to Paris with Grace on Instagram, further fueling speculation.
Grace will next appear in Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel to The Hunger Games franchise.
Meanwhile, Thames is slated to reprise his role as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III in the upcoming sequel to How to Train Your Dragon.