Johansson: Travolta isn’t strange

Scarlett Johansson insists there’s “nothing creepy” about John Travolta.

The 30-year-old actress was pictured posing on the red carpet at the Academy Awards on Sunday when John came up behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

The image quickly went viral, with social network users creating humorous memes of the pose.

But following the stir the image caused, Scarlett has come forward to stress that the peck was “totally welcome”.

“It was an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was totally sweet and totally welcome,” Scarlett said in a statement to The Associated Press.

“There is nothing at all strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta.”

Scarlett and John have long been friends, and starred together in A Love Song for Bobby Long, a drama released to theatres in 2004.

And calling John a “class act”, Scarlett added the image had been blown out of proportion.

Referring to the frame, Scarlett said it doesn’t accurately depict the moment, and is “yet another way we are misguided, misinformed and sensationalized by the 24-hour news cycle.”

The 2015 Oscars were another eventful one for John.

At the ceremony in 2014, John caused a Twitter sensation when he introduced Let It Go singer Idina Menzel as “Adele Nazeem”.

And as the pair took to the stage together at this year’s awards to present the gong for Best Original Song, John once again sparked controversy when he lent in to stroke Idina’s face.

However, following more “creepy” accusations, a representative for the star said the move had been rehearsed prior to the ceremony.

“It was rehearsed in total,” the spokesperson told People. “John Travolta loved working with Idina Menzel. John had a great time at the Oscars because his wife, Kelly Preston, and his daughter, Ella, were in attendance with him.”