Jimmy Kimmel Apologizes for Fake 2023 Oscars Cameo by Banshees of Inisherin's Jenny the Donkey

Jimmy Kimmel is setting the record straight on Jenny the donkey's alleged appearance at the 2023 Oscars.

While hosting the 95th Academy Awards on March 12, the comedian brought out an animal that he said was the lovable creature from The Banshees of Inisherin. 

"That was our emotional support donkey last night," Jimmy joked on the March 13 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "Everybody was super excited to see her, but then that stirred up some controversy."

Indeed, multiple news outlets soon started calling Jimmy's bluff and noted the miniature donkey wasn't the famous Jenny after all. And now, Jimmy is clearing things up.

"It's true. It wasn't Jenny," he continued on the late-night show. "It wasn't even a female donkey. The donkey's name is Dominic. It was a male donkey. We didn't think it was a good idea to fly a donkey over from Ireland, so we hired an L.A. donkey. Maybe you noticed like the lip fillers and the implants."

Jimmy then apologized for any confusion. "To anyone who was upset that they didn't get to see the bona fide donkey, we're very sorry," he added. "I want to apologize on behalf of the Academy. It will never happen again I promise you."

Of course, there was no fooling The Banshees of Inisherin writer and director Martin McDonagh.

"It wasn't Jenny," the filmmaker, whose movie was nominated in nine categories, said backstage at the ceremony, per the Los Angeles Times. "We never would have allowed that to happen."

So where is the real Jenny? "Martin fell so in love with her that he never wanted her to work again," Fircroft Animal Actors' Rita Moloney, who scouted Jenny for the film, told Vulture in October. "He asked if she could just do this movie, and then retire. Now she's just a happy donkey running with other miniature donkeys. I only saw her about three weeks ago down in County Carlow, and she's looking fine, fit, and healthy. She's just living the dream."

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