According to an excerpt from her new book, Liza Minnelli found herself struggling to comfortably see the teleprompter during the 2022 Oscars. “How would you feel if you were inexplicably put in a wheelchair to perform in front of a full auditorium, and you couldn’t even clearly see the text? When I stumbled over a few words, Gaga, who was standing next to me, immediately used the moment to play the helpful hero. ‘I’ve got you,’ she said, leaning over me,” Minnelli writes.
The revelation comes from Minnelli’s upcoming memoir, “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!”, and adds another layer to the already-discussed moment from the 94th Academy Awards. The 2022 ceremony was notably eventful, overshadowed by the incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, but Minnelli and Lady Gaga’s presentation of the Best Picture award too drew attention. Minnelli, a celebrated actress and singer known for her role in “Cabaret,” was seated in a wheelchair alongside Lady Gaga as they announced “CODA” as the winner. At the time, Lady Gaga expressed her honor at being on stage with a “true showbusiness legend.” However, Minnelli’s new book details a different experience behind the scenes. The actress claims she was “inexplicably ordered” to use a wheelchair or not appear at all, despite requesting a director’s chair for safety reasons. She felt the reasoning – concerns about potentially slipping from the chair – was “bull—-.” Minnelli also stated that her co-presenter, Lady Gaga, insisted she wouldn’t travel on stage unless Minnelli was in the wheelchair, leaving her “heartbroken” by the situation. The incident highlights the complexities of live television and the challenges faced by performers, even those with decades of experience in the entertainment industry.
