Eddie Murphy left his seat at the Kodak Theatre after losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (for Dreamgirls) to Little Miss Sunshine's Alan Arkin – but his rep says the comedian would have done the same thing even if he'd won.

"Eddie had always planned on leaving after his category was announced to spend the rest of the evening with his family," says rep Arnold Robinson, adding, "He did the same thing following the Golden Globe Awards." (Murphy did win at the Globes.)

But the actor, who was accompanied at the show by his girlfriend Tracey Edmonds, didn't exactly make a hasty exit. After they left their seats the couple were spotted just outside the theater doors in heavy conversation – and in a group hug – with studio head Harvey Weinstein.