Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster take over for Casey Affleck to present the Best Actress award at the 2018 Oscars

The 2018 Oscars is breaking a long-standing tradition, and for good reason. Typically, the previous year’s Best Actor winner presents the Best Actress trophy, while the most recent Best Actress winner hands out the award for Best Actor. That would mean Casey Affleck, the 2017 Best Actor winner, would announce the 2018 Best Actress winner. However, it was announced in January that Affleck would not be attending the 2018 Oscars. And now, Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence have been tapped to present the Best Actress nominees in his place.

Affleck’s absence at the 2018 Oscars is likely due to the sexual misconduct allegations that resurfaced during the 2017 awards season. While he was promoting his Oscar-winning role in Manchester By the Sea, renewed attention was brought to a previous lawsuit the actor settled with two women who worked with him on the 2010 mockumentary I’m Still Here. Cinematographer Magdalena Gorka and producer Amanda White had both accused Affleck of sexual harassment throughout filming, according to The Guardian.

Deadline reported that Affleck decided to skip the 2018 Oscars because he “did not want to become a distraction from the focus that should be on the performances of the actresses in the category.”

From where we sit, Affleck presenting at the 2018 Oscars would have been a slap in the face of women in Hollywood amid the #MeToo movement.

We’re especially stoked that Lawrence and Foster are taking his place to present this year’s Best Actress trophy. This isn’t the first time they’ve paired up, either. In 2016, Lawrence presented Foster with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at the AMD British Academy Britannia Awards.

The 2018 Oscars are also switching up the presenters for the Best Actor award.

Because Emma Stone won for La La Land in 2017, Best Actor presenting duties would typically fall on her shoulders. But this year, legendary actresses Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren will reportedly present that prize.

We’re excited to see the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences switch things up a bit. There are big changes happening in Hollywood, and it’s time the Academy followed suit.