Liza Minnelli claims her famous 2022 Oscars appearance was 'sabotaged'
Liza Minnelli spoke about a 'series of unfortunate events' that led her to write a book
Liza Minnelli is planning on setting the record straight about her infamous Oscars appearance two years ago as she announced her upcoming memoir.
The Hollywood icon took to the biggest stage in the business alongside Lady Gaga back in 2022 during THAT Academy Awards show.
Yes, the one where we saw Will Smith storm on stage to slap comedian Chris Rock during his presentation after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith looking like GI Jane.
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The line drew some laughs from the crowd, including Smith himself, before he realized his wife wasn't amused and so marched on stage to slap Rock before yelling: "Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth."
Well, among all of that drama at the Oscars, Minnelli was wheeled out to present an award on stage with Gaga, with many fans left worried over her seemingly frail and confused appearance.
Yesterday (Aug 6), the Cabaret star announced her new memoir - one that she insisted she needed to do due to a 'series of unfortunate events', she told People.
Speaking to the magazine she said they included 'a sabotaged appearance at the Oscars', a film with 'twisted half-truths' and 'a recent miniseries that just didn't get it right'.
So what happened at the Oscars for her to fume and decide to write a book?
Well, her friend Michael Feinstein, who is working with Minnelli on the memoir which is due to be published in early 2026, explained to SiriusXM the details of what happened in the lead up to the star coming out on stage.
“Sabotaged. That’s a terrible word to use but she only agreed to appear on the Oscars if she was in a director’s chair, because she’s been having back trouble,” he said.
“She said, ‘I don’t want people to see me limping out there.’ She said, ‘You know, I want to look good. I don’t want people to worry about me.’
“Then literally five minutes before she went on, when she sat in the director’s chair back there, and because I guess they were all shaken up because of everything that had happened earlier [Smith slapping Rock], the stage manager said, ‘Well, she has to be in a wheelchair.’”
He added: “She was nervous, and it made her look like she was out of it. 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.”
Elsewhere in her upcoming memoir, Minneli is set to spill all about her childhood and her rise to fame as well as her love life and struggles with substance abuse.
The book is due to hit shelves in spring 2026.
Topics: Oscars, Will Smith, Chris Rock, Lady Gaga, Academy Awards, Hollywood
Joe Yates