It’s safe to say Rita Moreno had an unforgettable experience meeting Lenny Kravitz for the first time.
The EGOT winner shared on Thursday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show that she was “astonished” at the legendary singer’s initial reaction to her during the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last month.
“I said to my daughter [Fernanda Luisa Gordon], ‘Oh look, there’s Lenny Kravitz. Let’s go say hello,'” Moreno recalled. “And she said, ‘Do you know him?’ I said, ‘No, but, you know, it’s a party,’ and he was all alone.”
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After the West Side Story actress introduced herself to Kravitz, she said, “At that point — you’re not gonna believe this — he fell to the floor, and he got on his knees. And he just went on and on and on and on about how much he’s admired me all these years,” quipping, “I nearly peed my britches.”
Jennifer Hudson asked Moreno how she kept her “cool” during their interaction, but the actress responded, “‘Keep my cool?’ Are you crazy? I just said, ‘Oooh, thank you!'”
She continued, “And I kept saying, ‘Really? Really?’ Because he kept telling me how, since he was a young boy, he loved me. And I just kept looking at my daughter,” with a seemingly proud look on her face.
“But I was astonished,” the 80 for Brady star added of the memorable moment. “That was marvelous.”
Overall, Moreno said she had a “fabulous time” at the iconic party in Beverly Hills on Hollywood’s biggest night. The celebration featured a star-studded guest list, including LeBron James, Billie Eilish, Christopher Nolan, Emma Stone, Steven Spielberg and more.
