Minnie Driver Tears Up Remembering the Style Tip Her Late Mom Gave Her at 1998 Oscars: ‘The Dress Fell Off’

"I'm so happy to see that she's here on the show with me," Driver said after spotting her late mom in the background of a photo during her 'Jennifer Hudson Show' appearance

Minnie Driver's mom, Gaynor Churchward, had some words of advice for her daughter at her first Oscars in 1998.

During an appearance on Thursday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, Driver, 54, was shown a photo of herself at her very first Academy Awards, wearing a ruby-red Halston gown that she teamed with a matching shawl.

While discussing the ceremony, the actress then spotted her late mom, who died in March 2021, in the background of the photo.

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"Oh my gosh, that's my mom in the background. You know what's crazy? It's the anniversary of her passing, and I'm so happy to see that she's here on the show with me," she said while getting teary-eyed.

She continued to tell Hudson of posing on the red carpet, "That moment, honestly I was heartbroken and I was scared. I'd lost too much weight before I went to the Oscars. The dress fell off, and in that moment I had this wrap, and I just pulled the wrap around me and kind of carried on smiling."

"My mom knew what would happen, and she was smiling too, but she was literally going 'Don't drop your shawl, don't drop it!'" Driver added while revealing her mom's advice.

Driver described to Hudson what an emotional time for her it had been when she attended the 1998 Oscars, as she had recently split from ex-boyfriend Matt Damon, 53. Damon was also her costar in Good Will Hunting, the movie she was nominated for.

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That year, the Speechless star had been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Skylar in Good Will Hunting.

She recalled of attending the star-studded ceremony for the first time, "Crikey, I was so terrified. It reminds me of the movie Gladiator when he walks into the Colosseum... the noise, the sound, the light, the everything. The most exciting, most amazing moment, but super super overwhelming."

"I remember always hanging on to my mom and dad, who came with me, and my sister, and just trying to breathe. It went by in a blur I've got to say," Driver admitted.

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