>> everyone was just kind of blown away. resenter olivia mudd had one of the evening's greatest accessories, quarterback aaron rodgers helping her with that tney gown. >> he's been so great, making no one was on my train, as in place. this morning he went to the store and got all these fruits and croissants and vegetables and went to starbucks and got the big old container fordy. he fed the whole glam >> alicia decanter. walked the red carpet solo, and but they came together inside. after kissing her mom, she did kiss mic of pda for this notoriously private couple.

stage, nor she on the thank ank you crawl. but we did spot them for half a second going into "vanity fair," the one guy she would not part with all evening long, oscar. >> this is like a dream come >> i'm trying to take it all in. i just got my name on this thing. i'm trying to believe it's actually true, it's wonderful.his couple, sly and jennifer married almost 19 years. >> this moment means to much to our whole family.movie here, i'm actually filming it. then you go home and you analyze it because it's so gratifying, it's so amazing, it's so life reaffirming. >> but the upsketd -- upset of the night had to be this. >> mark reyland forrting actor. >> arnold posted his love for sly. >> sly, just remember, no matter

best. >> for his part, stallone took the loss like a champ. >> we love you, man. we love you. >> another surprise win was for best picture. >> "spotlight."ory wins, that's the true. >> and this was an historic moment, the first back to back wins for a director in 65 years. here alajandro won for bird and then this year. have a big winner tonight as well. how are you guys going to celebrate? >> i think some dancing, some moves, i think leo has some good moves. >> i'm so happy for leo, because i didn't want him to have to wait forever.y, we know he can dance. coming up, exes ben affleck and jennifer garner at the same what jen says about

>> and we not forgot all the oscar fashion, joe zee has the stories about all the thigt's most memorable looks. >> lady gaga's three dresses. plus we have a couple of stars who skipped the oscars for ry and orlando bloom photo exclusive. and later tonight, "dancing with the stars" co-host erin breaks down on the that's all ahead, it was another crazy oscar night from our live preshow on pop t what about buchon, what keeps them running? >> it never gets old, i think i'm more nervous than i ever so to be here today really feels extraordinary. >> what>> it's a film i'm really proud of that i have made with my r. that's why you do it, you're a storyteller and you want people

>> i'm soht now. we're in the car coming and we keep saying, can believe this? can you believe this? >> what keeps you going on a ethis? >> you like the whole swirl thing. >> i don't like to do it, but i'll do it. >> then there's kevin hart. >> what keeps me running is that you're going to have a great we're going to see some things

celebrating an "e.t"

er garner. she took everyone's breath away at the oscars in versace, some are calling it her revenge dress because it was her first public she told all about ben in "vanity fair." later they both hit the annual bash, but it was jennifer who owned the night in this tale two exes.

her arms and shoulders, toned from her time at the gym.se, jen was all >> ben came a few minutes later, only stopping for fife seconds. and her close friend actor victor garber who officiated their turks and caicos wedding staying strong. >> i think she's doing well, dealing with al of stress and pain.rner, at a rehearsal she planted a smooch on del toro. through it all, her heart is still tender, she told "vanity fair," she's not quite ready for da by a man on a jetblue flightcould i take you for a cup of coffee? and i like, no, you can not take me for a cup coffee, but thanks for asking. ben affleck also seems to be trying to move on, he was seen on jimmy kimmel live with matt damon hiding underneath, and never did talk about jen, but

theyday. >> i want you to do batman, real batman. >> as ben and kate hudson waited in the car line, he later stood by his ex, but later said they the didn't speak before she left ben alo are her passio she she's dealing with the sit >> there's still great love between them. jen says when she is ready to date again, she wants an old-fashioned relationship with lots of flowers.looks like there's plenty of romance between katy perry and orlando bloom and coming up, we have new photos of the coupleolding hands and showing off their vacation bods. and joe zee takes a closer ns e with fashion favorites, flops . >> who got it right? and who got it way

>belief it or not, that is brie larsen when she was just 15 years old. she originally wanted to be a pop star. she even released an. and she's an oscar winner. we're going to talk all about oscar fashion in just a minute. meanwhile katy perry and are together, and about as far away from oscar fashion as you can get. look at these two. >> yeah, they're not wearing at all. that's because they were kicking

exclusive new photos. do. yeah, we're doing it. holding hands and hiking in hawaii. d a pink bikini top. orlando showing off his abs.uple made their way quite the gentleman. katy had her hair pulled back with hardly any makeup at all. and took a moment to stretch her she was mixing a little business with pleasure, she happened to be in maui to perform at an beach. that didn't stop them from going off on a romantic dinner date. this is the per that makes us arm around her with an a adoring gaze, kind of like the first time we saw them at the golden globes.deal for us and we're loving the relaxed feel of

can katy's lovely floral d and orlando a's but not as much as we like seeing him without it. >> i love them as a couple. and i don't mind that shot right there. >> teenaged dream.ng of ski there was actually a lot of it on the red carpet. joining oscar fashion favorites, flops and fixes, it's editor-in-chief yahoo is joe zee. >> i love charlize theron, she and she had that plunging neckline and the diamond necklace and she was wearing 23 are 2 treefr $3.7 million worth of harry winston jewels. the second she steps out on the

beauty and the beast. >> r. >> kevin and i were actually the toes. >> if you ask 5-year-old alicia who she wanted to be, she would say belle in "beauty and the beast". of people are comparing it to belle. your dream has come >> and as a little fyi, that t lame. and if that isn't princess t is. >> white was the big turn of the night. >> white was the huge turn of the night and one of the people y was lady gaga. that look that she wore on the red carpet at the oscars was inspired by a run way look and wore a

was inspired actually by athe fashion show.asn't the only one to -- that she wore to the oscars into that pale pink, she knows what works on her body. she had her hands on her hips, knows how to pose, showing off those toned arms. she really gets it right. love after partymations. and carrie washington, that was a lot of mixed dress she wore on the red carpet. it was a black leather halter, but when she went to the "vanity fair" party, she changed and really made up for it because it was stunning. >> that sort of stunning and thee talking about the back. >> she's probably one of my best dressed of the evening. >> the calvin klein collection e with me having a bunch of fittings together. it was perfect. >> it was so exquisite and classic and timeless.

flattering in a certainould remove all of that excess fabric, so give it a much more accentuated flow of her body.ause she has great figure and i would actually the neckline down a little so it's not so straight of. waist because she has a great figure. so you should actually color block the dress and just have a portion of t silk lame there it's not so all encompassing. >> you always do such a great job, and thank you for being ions. >> oh, i had as much fun.

we caught gwen stefani and

ll right, before we go, a shoutout to pop cd, had such a good time hosting their oscar preshow.nt to tell you about "dancing with the stars" erin andrews court case today.she took the stand and broke down in tears. and her emotional testimony started crying when tag about filmed her through the peephole in her hotel room in 2008

tonight the klanntroversy exploding around donald trump after refusing to condemn the kkk's former leader. what he's saying now and what we found him saying years ago.> plus, tensions boil over at trump's rally, and tonight some republican leaders are scrambling to stop him. shooting emergency. all-out chaos as police say a 14-year-old suddenly opened fire in the cafeteria. taking the stand, an emotional erinandrews tells the jury about her hotel nightmare as a stalker secretly taped her and posted the video for to see. craving sleep. a wake-up call tonight for millions struggling to lose weight and trying to get and hollywood rocked as controversy

the oscars. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is ennightly news with lester holt. ening. from our election headquarters on the eve of super tuesday, one of the biggest days yet in the al contest, in an election season filled with lead-shaking moments, spray tans. the kkk and ear pieceunctions are abeing mott topics driving the conversation about the republican race. outside of texas, donald trump seems poised to score some very big wins in 's primary contest despite some conflicting and curious answers to a question that' him exposed over very sensitive racial ground. nbc's katy tur starts our coverage tonight.ter: tensions high in radford, virginia. secret service body slamming a "time" photographer who tried the campaign

trump on edge, too. this morning blaming his refusal to condition dem the kkk id duke in a cnn interview on a bad ear piece. >> i'm sitting in a house in florida with a very bad earpiece that they gave me, andld hardly here what he was saying. >> reporter: a complaint he did not make during that interview. >> i don't know an duke, okay. i don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists, so i don't knoworter: trump disavowed the cline's infamous former leader last week. david duke and robo hite supremicist movement supporting you. any words for that? >> i disavow it and didn't know it. >> reporter: tted the one-time grand wizard as the reason he wouldn't run in the reform party ticket in 2000. >> david duke just a bigot, a racist, a problem, not exactly the people you want in your party. >> reporter: since he kicked off his campaign trump has been repeatedly accused of stokingracial fears, first with mexicans and then africans and muslims.

doing his best to appeal to the ency of david duke and people like david duke while pretending he heegs not doing that very >> he should be more of a statesman. it wouldn't cost him anything with his supporters, and it hats chance of actually bringing moreans into his fold. >> reporter: this weekend trump championed the endorsement of alabama senator jeff sessions, the first u.s. senator to join trump, this asrco rubio got in the mud. >> how can a person with the worst spray tan in america? you know what they say with small hands. you can't trust them. >> reporter: hours from super tuesday and time is running out for trump's their case. >> i will go to all 50 states and every territory. i will continue to speak out until i literally have no voicei will go anywhere to speak to anyone before i let a con artist get ahold. republican party. trump represents everything you're mad about washington, the deal-making that

working men and women. >> reporter: despite mp is poised to win big. >> mexico, everybody talks -- >> reporter: as you can hear, donald trump is on stage here in georgia behind me. another controversy is brewing. both rubio and cruz calling on trump to press the "new york times" to release a pt of an off-the-record meeting after buzzfeed reported that trump may have expressed flexibility on his immigration plan. lester? >> katy tur tonight, thanks. as the trump train rolls into super full of steam, some republican leaders are now openly expressing deep concerns about the prospect of donald trump as the party's minee. one gop senator even saying he won't support him, and as nbc's andrea mitchell reports, the anxiety has reached a feverpitch. >> we have a movement going on. this isn't normal. >> reporter: donald trump packing in thousands on the trail again today, but he scenes nbc news has learned trump has many top republican officials

for a way to block himting the nomination. >> a lot of people who are worried donald trump can't win in november. new poll out today hat he's behind hillary clinton where in almost every other poll, virtually any other republican beats hillary clintonere's concern there. >> reporter: adding to the alarm, trump's response on the ku klux klan, prompting this tweet from 2012nee mitt romney. a disqualifying and disgusting response by real donald trump to the kkk. his coddling ofrepugnant bigotry is not in the character of america. >> are we choosinging a president like "american idol"? is that the system and what kind of democracy will it produce? there's a lot of people i think legitimately worried. >> reporter: one big concern for republicans, would trump at the top of the ticket, if he loses, take down with him 24 gop senate candidates, and tonight the first republican senator to say he won't vote for trump if he's the nominee. nebraska's ben sass.

wrote conservatives will need to find a third option other than trump. >> this is a guy who says things again and again that sound a lot more like vladimir putin than abraham lincoln. >> reporter: there are two key worries among many republican officials if trump gets the nomination. first, if he wins in november, would he govern as a conservative? and, second, would he even get that far? if democrats are able to successfully attack his past statements and his business record. lester? >> andrea mitchell, thanks so much to talk about. let's bring in our political director, the moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. chuck, if trump does well tomorrow, what are the points in which they can -- other republicans can stop him? >> the only way they can stop him within the party is to deny him the delegates he needs to get the nomination. to do that, he does well tomorrow night, then it becomes imperative that they defeat trump in march 15 in ohio meaning every other candidate other than john kasich decides to campaign there. maybe rubio says i'll let kasich go there and rubio has to win

florida and maybe they find somebody else to rally around and beat him in illinois and north carolina. that's the only way they can do it within the party, but if they don't succeed by march 15th, there's nothing they can do, can't deny the nomination so then it's the third-party route. i've heard rumors of finding a candidate, mitt romney's name. there's a constitution party out there that has ballot access. if they want to start a third party, you'd have to do it within the next couple of weeks to actually get ballot access, but this stuff is real, and it gets very real on march 16th if donald trump continues to roll. >> haven't ever seen anything like it. >> not since 1860 and the wigs. the republican party was born out of another conservative party the whigs breaking apart. maybe history is truly repeating it self. >> chuck todd, thank you. on the democratic side fresh off her landslide victory over bernie sanders in south carolina hillary clinton is look ahead to super tuesday as an opportunity to pull away in this race. nbc's kristen welker