Kamala Harris is set to make a surprise guest appearance Sunday night’s Oscars, with the former vice president’s plans triggering a huge security headache.
Hollywood bible Deadline reported Harris’ upcoming presence Sunday afternoon. It is unclear if Harris is set to present an Academy Award.
The ceremony is set to honor firefighters and workers who helped battle devastating wildfires that swept Los Angeles in January and destroyed huge swathes of the city.
Harris was previously a Democrat senator for California.
She’s also rumored to be considering a future run to become Governor of California, so could well lead the Oscars’ segment on the fires.
Locals say security at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, where the 97th Oscars are held, is at an all-time high.
All vehicles wishing to pass the security cordon have to let sniffer dogs inside, one cop was overheard saying.
A huge convoy of black minibuses filled with elite private security was also seen being let into the compound.
One federal official working the event told Deadline: ‘We live in a new evolving security environment.
Firefighters pose on the red carpet as the 97th Academy Awards kicks off at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is expected as a surprise guest, with her anticipated presence triggering a huge security operation
Harris is pictured with Doug Emhoff at the NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena on February 22. Tonight’s Oscars visit will be her highest-profile appearance since leaving Washington DC in January
‘The expected attendance of the former vice president is a major factor in the added security.’
The fed added that there weren’t any credible threats to the event and that the huge security presence was a precautionary one.
Los Angeles Police Department have refused to comment on the dramatic surge in security, which Deadline reports is unusual.
The Oscars, which are run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are due to be screened from 7pm ET Sunday.
In recent years, Oscars bosses have been accused of fixating on niche woke films that push a progressive message over crowd-pleasing blockbusters.
The appearance of one of America’s most famous Democrat lawmakers – who suffered a spectacular election loss to Donald Trump in November – will do little to quell that criticism.
This year’s show is being hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, who is known to avoid political jokes.
But that will likely do little to silence President Trump should Harris take to the stage.
The president, a former reality star, has been outspoken in his condemnation of the ceremony on multiple occasions.
A security drone is seen flying through the air ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony
A large decorative Oscars statuette is pictured on the red carpet of Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards ceremony
Last year he suggested host Jimmy Kimmel was the worst in the show’s history.
Harris was condemned for being out-of-touch with ordinary Americans and over-reliant on celebrities during her doomed run for president.
Any appearance at tonight’s ceremony will likely further such allegations, as the Democrat party remains in disarray following their stunning loss to Trump’s Republican party last year.
Favorites to sweep the awards include heartwarming prostitute romcom Anora and The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody as a brutalist architect.
