While many Oscars viewers were distracted by that thing that we won’t get into, there were some more memorable moments of the night, including Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli graciously presenting the final award of the night.
Minnelli, who is 76, was brought out in a wheelchair to present with the actress/singer. “You know how I love working with legends,” Gaga said, referencing Minnelli. “And I’m honored to present the final award of the evening with a true show business legend.” The two had some banter before awarding the Oscar for Best Picture, which went to CODA.
While the moment was heartwarming, it was clear that Minnelli was a little flustered, and seemed to have trouble reading the teleprompter, to which Gaga replied, “I got you.” While the moment was overshadowed by the chaotic ceremony, Minnelli’s close friend Michael Feinstein said he believed she was “sabotaged” by the producers when they insisted she use a wheelchair, which was not a part of the plan.
While appearing on The Jess Cagle Show on Sirius XM, Feinstein says Minnelli had been experiencing back pain and requested to present in a director’s chair, until the producers switched it to a wheelchair at the last minute. “She was sabotaged,” Feinstein said. “That’s a terrible word to use, but she only agreed to appear on the Oscars if she would be in the director’s chair because she’s been having back trouble.”
Instead of a director’s chair, she was offered a wheelchair. Minnelli was allegedly worried about what her fans would think if she saw her limping. “She was nervous, and it made her look like she was out of it” Feinstein added.”Can you imagine being suddenly forced to be seen by millions of people the way you don’t want to be seen? That’s what happened to her.”
Neither Minnelli nor Gaga have commented on the situation, and though it just seemed like she was very nervous, she handled it well, as only Liza Minnelli could!
Check out the interview below: