Liza Minnelli addresses Reproaches 🏆 Oscar 2022
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Liza Minnelli
TaraDeS — 1 month ago(February 25, 2026 04:02 PM)
Liza Minnelli addresses Reproaches
Oscar 2022
In her memoir, Liza Minnelli reveals that she was forced into a wheelchair
against her will at the 2022 Oscars.
Liza Minnelli didn't actually want to appear in a wheelchair at the 2022 Oscars.
Hollywood legend Liza Minnelli (79) breaks her silence about one of the most discussed moments in recent Oscar history. In her memoir
"Kids, Wait Till You Hear This"
to be released in March, she describes for the first time from her own perspective what happened behind the scenes at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 — and her version differs significantly from what millions of viewers saw on TV.
Minnelli was invited to present the Oscar for Best Picture alongside Lady Gaga (39) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her award-winning movie
"Cabaret"
. What was intended as a celebration of an icon turned into a nightmare for Minnelli. She was wheeled onto the stage in a wheelchair, despite her explicit refusal.
Forced into a Wheelchair against her Will
In the book excerpt published by
People
, Minnelli describes how she originally assumed she would sit in a director's chair on stage. But shortly before the performance, she was informed that she would only be allowed on stage in a wheelchair.
"I was ordered – without even being asked – to sit in a wheelchair or not perform at all,"
Minnelli writes. The reason given: Her age and the fear that she might slip out of the director’s chair.
For Minnelli simply
"b.u.l.l.s.h.i.t"
.
The entertainer goes even further in her memoirs and points the finger directly at Lady Gaga:
"My co-host insisted she wouldn't go on stage with me unless I was in a wheelchair,"
she writes.
Liza Minnelli: "I was devastated"
Minnelli describes the humiliation of the evening with the words:
"I was devastated. I was sitting much lower than in the director’s chair. I couldn’t even read the teleprompter above me properly anymore."
When she stumbled over individual words, Gaga immediately seized the opportunity.
"Gaga, who was standing next to me, didn’t hesitate for a second to play the benevolent heroine in front of everyone. ‘I’ll help you,’ she said, leaning down to me,"
Minnelli recalls.
After the performance, Gaga came to her dressing room and asked if she was okay. Minnelli’s reaction remained professional:
"I looked at her and simply said: I’m a huge fan. I learned that lesson from my mom and dad years ago. In a moment of great stress, you remain dignified."
Friend confirms Minnelli's Account
Minnelli's version aligns with the statements of her longtime friend Michael Feinstein, who already spoke about the incident in 2022 on the
"Jess Cagle Show"
on SiriusXM. He was backstage with her that evening. Feinstein used a strong word at the time: Minnelli was
"sabotaged"
. She only agreed to perform on the condition that she sit in a director's chair because of back problems.
"She said, 'I don't want people to see me limping. I want to look good',"
Feinstein reported.
Literally 5 minutes before her performance, the stage manager announced that she would have to use a wheelchair — possibly due to the tense atmosphere following the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock earlier that evening.
Minnelli protested, but the message was clear: Wheelchair or no performance.
"She was so shaken that she completely lost it,"
Feinstein said.
"Can you imagine suddenly being seen by millions of people in a way you don't want to be seen?"
https://www.stern.de/kultur/liza-minnelli-erhebt-vorwuerfe-gegen-gaga-und-die-oscars-37158610.html
February 25, 2026
If that is true, I understand Liza Minnelli's anger.
Liza Minnelli and Lady Gaga present Best Picture Oscars 2022