Viola Davis reveals why she wore sneakers to the Emmys

"I said I will only do it if I can wear sneakers."
 By 
Rachel Thompson
 on 
Viola Davis reveals why she wore sneakers to the Emmys
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Walking in heels is tough. Especially when the whole world is watching you do it.

Which is why Widows star Viola Davis opted to wear sneakers and a ballgown while presenting at the Emmys.

Frankly, as a fellow suffering heels-wearer, I don't even think Davis needs to explain herself. We get it. But nevertheless, she explained her reasons to Jimmy Kimmel. She said it feels like "you're forced to wear heels."

"Here's the thing, I knew I had to present," she said. "So, I thought I was gonna hobble on stage to the podium and just announce the supporting actor, but then I found out I had to walk through the presentation.

"I said hell no," Davis added. "I said I will only do it if I can wear sneakers."

When Kimmel asked her who would dare prevent her from wearing comfy shoes, she replied, "Nobody. Because I was ready to fight."

We have no choice but to stan.

Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.


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