Everyone loves a good Oscar party, but not everyone has a personal stake in how the night turns out. One star may have been watching from home, but he still has a whole lot to celebrate. Willie Geist spent Sunday night cheering for his sister from his couch, and absolutely freaked out when she was awarded one of those coveted golden statues.
The Today Sunday anchor and Morning Joe co-host's younger sister Libby Geist Wildes was up for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards this year for the buzzed-about doc O.J.: Made In America. The eight-hour documentary, which aired on ESPN, explored the life of O.J. Simpson, from his ascension to football stardom to eventual downfall following his acquittal for the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. (If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, it's absolutely worth watching... especially if you already got hooked on the case from FX's fictionalized take The People vs. O.J. Simpson.)
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The ESPN doc was a favorite to win the Oscar — and, last night, it did, causing Geist and his family to absolutely lose their minds.
Christina Geist, Willie's wife, shared this cute video of the family watching the action from home. It's clear that they're very proud of Libby's major accomplishment:
@OJMadeInAmerica @Libbygeist @WillieGeist @billgeistone pic.twitter.com/uTmWbvwZwj
— Christina Geist (@christinageist) February 27, 2017
Geist himself shared a congratulatory message on Twitter, writing:
"MY. SISTER. JUST. WON. AN. OSCAR!!!!! Congrats, @LibbyGeist, @EzraEdelman, @CWaterlow, @ConnorSchell, & @ESPN! #Oscars2017 @OJMadeInAmerica"
MY. SISTER. JUST. WON. AN. OSCAR!!!!! Congrats, @LibbyGeist, @EzraEdelman, @CWaterlow, @ConnorSchell, & @ESPN! #Oscars2017 @OJMadeInAmerica
— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) February 27, 2017
Earlier this week, Geist revealed to The Wrap just how stoked he was for Libby's then-nomination:
"We've been blessed to have exciting things happen in our life... this is far and away the most exciting thing that has ever happened to a Geist. Win or lose it's amazing... Whatever happens, [my sister] went to the Oscars, which is the peak Geist achievement of all time. We'll never top that so she's already won in that regard."
Fortunately, he didn't have to see what it was like for Libby to lose. You have to love that Geist is so supportive of his younger sibling — especially during such a momentous moment in her career. The Geists are officially all of our family goals.