The hilarious gag – performed in tandem with host Jimmy Kimmel – occurred as Cena was to appear on stage to present the Best Costume Design award, for whic the nominees were Poor Things, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Napoleon, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Kimmel asked the audience: ““Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today? Wouldn’t that be crazy?” The comedian was alluding to an incident where a streaker ran across the stage at the 1974 Academy Awards.
Cena followed Kimmel’s quip by peeking around the curtain and saying: “I changed my mind. I don’t want to do the streaker bit. I just don’t feel right about it. It’s an elegant event, you know, you should feel shame right now for suggesting such a tasteless joke.”
“The male body is not a joke!” the WWE star added.
Ultimately, Cena did inch out onto the stage to present the aforementioned award to the winner, Poor Things, his modesty protected – seemingly – only by the envelope containing the winning nomination.
Shortly following the skit, a social media post revealed that Cena was in fact wearing skin-painted underwear behind the envelope.
“He’s actually wearing skin-painted underwear,” one X user wrote. “Great job by the makeup department.”
“That’s disappointing! I say go all in! Or all out!” another added. “He probably wanted to but was told they couldn’t.
“This guy is getting out of hand,” a third wrote.