An additional report from Page Six claimed that E! is scrambling to ensure a "crisis-free" ceremony for Seacrest, something the network wasn't able to do earlier this year. At the 2018 Golden Globes in January, actress Debra Messing told E! host Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet that she was "shocked" to discover that E! did not provide pay parity for Catt Sadler. Given that the Time's Up movement has made sexual harassment a focus on red carpets this year, it's hard to imagine this kind of awkward interview wouldn't happen with Seacrest at the Oscars . Page Six reported that publicists have been instructed to shuttle the "softball" interviewees to Seacrest so that he won't have to face tough questions like Rancic did in January. But who in this climate is going to lob softballs on the most high-profile carpet of the year? And, if Seacrest sticks to safe bets, he'll be hurting his own visibility. E! may have found themselves in a bind.