Scout’s honor. After Chris Rock boasted that he sold $65,243 worth of cookies during the 2016 Oscars, a Girl Scout rep revealed on Tuesday, March 1, that the actual amount sold was far less.
According to TMZ, the organization’s rep says Rock sold about 500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies at $5 each — which would equal $2,500. While the comedian didn’t raise the money on cookie sales alone, he did manage to pull in the cash through generous donations from Hollywood.
“Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles was thrilled to participate in the 88th Oscars on Sunday evening,” a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of the USA told TheWrap. “Both Girl Scouts of the USA and the Academy have verified that, through sales of Girl Scout Cookies and donations made during the Oscars, the Girl Scouts raised $65,243, that will benefit girls, allowing them to improve their communities and continue developing into strong leaders.”
No matter the grand total, Rock’s efforts were appreciated all the same.
“The number wasn’t the point. Other than beating [Linda Spradley Dunn, the Girl Scouts troop mother Rock called out during the bit], the gag came out of a very real situation,” Oscar producer David Hill told Entertainment Weekly. “Chris’ daughters are in the Girl Scouts, while he is in L.A. working on the show. They never win for the highest fundraiser. I can solve both of these problems. Who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies? My kids were handing out Girl Scout cookies to all the celebrities around them.”
Though Rock’s daughters, Lola and Zahra, belong to an East Coast–based troop, the money collected from the star-studded crowd at the 88th Academy Awards will benefit Girl Scouts in Inglewood, California.
“I want you to reach into your millionaire pockets, and I want you to buy some of my daughters’ Girl Scout cookies. Look at my babies up there. Are you going to deny my princesses some cookies?” Rock joked at the ceremony, before his kids started selling Thin Mints and Tagalongs to celebs including Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
“Tina Fey! Get that money, girl. Make that money,” he continued. “Charlize Theron. Yes. Yes. OK. You get them. You get them. Leo [DiCaprio]! You made $30 million. Come on. Come on! Michael B. Jordan‘s here. You know what? No, no, you got enough girls.”
Rock isn’t the first Oscar host to feed an audience. In 2014, Ellen DeGeneres had pizza delivered during the live show, which was a hit with stars such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts.
