Turns Out Liza Minnelli And Lady Gaga’s Viral Oscars Moment Allegedly Has An Upsetting Backstory

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It’s awards season in Hollywood, and as we all wait to see which 2026 Oscar nominees become winners, a well-known legend is airing her grievances about a past Academy Awards appearance. Readers may remember Lady Gaga’s viral moment helping Liza Minnelli onstage, but according to the latter, the story wasn’t as sweet as it may seem.

Minnelli isn’t afraid to share her opinions about things she dislikes, so I’m excited to see what else she discusses in her upcoming memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, out on March 10th. The book, timed to release ahead of the airing of the Oscars on ABC (streaming with a Hulu subscription) on March 15th, had a snippet released by Variety, which alleged she was forced to sit in a wheelchair for the moment:

I was inexplicably ordered — not even asked — to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all. I was told it was because of my age, and for safety reasons, because I might slip out of the director’s chair, which was bulls—. ‘I will not be treated this way,’ I said. I was heartbroken. I was much lower down than I would have been in the director’s chair. Now I couldn’t easily read the teleprompter above me.

Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli presented the Oscar for Best Picture at the 2022 award show. Minelli briefly fumbled her words and was reassured by Gaga just before the show cut to the nominees for the category. When the clips stopped rolling, the feed returned to Minnelli and Gaga, who had a bit of banter before Minnelli read that CODA won best picture.

At the time, some praised Lady Gaga for her continued support of aged icons, pointing to her relationship with the late singer, Tony Bennett. Minnelli wrote about what she was feeling in the moment:

How would you feel if you were wheeled out, against your will, to perform in front of a live audience, and unable to see clearly? So when I stumbled over a few words, Gaga, who was at my side, didn’t miss a beat to play the kindhearted hero for all the world to see. ‘I got you,’ she said, leaning down over me.

Minnelli does go on to say that Gaga checked on her ahead of the performance, after she heard about the situation with the wheelchair. The triple threat said that she simply told the artist she was “a big fan” as her parents, Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli, taught her to be gracious in moments of high stress.

Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli had a connection not just as performers, but because Judy Garland also once starred in A Star Is Born. It seems that both performers have a mutual respect for one another, though I would love to see what Gaga has to say with this added context for the moment in 2022.

As of writing, the Academy has not offered comment on the allegations brought up by Minnelli. Of course, the awards show is less than a month out, so it would be understandable if the producers are being cautious about how to address the situation ahead of its big show.

CinemaBlend remains enthusiastic about the Oscars’ arrival on the 2026 TV schedule, even if some of us are bummed Wicked: For Good was snubbed. Stick with us on the big night as we break down some of the big surprises, shocks, and other viral moments that capture the attention of the world on Hollywood’s biggest night.