NEWS2026 Emmys In Memoriam Fails to Include Chuck Norris, Nicholas Brendon and More Late Stars — Leaving Fans Outraged Over 'Glaring Omissions'
Chuck Norris and Nicholas Brendon were excluded from the Emmys.
Sept. 15 2026, Updated 1:23 p.m. ET
Fans were left outraged after the 2026 Emmys in memoriam failed to include several late stars.
The ceremony, which took place on Monday, September 14, featured a heartfelt segment, as it always does, honoring television stars, writers, producers and creators who have passed away over the last year.
With featured performances by Noah Kahan and Reba McEntire, there were special shout-outs to Rob Reiner, Dolly Parton and Catherine O'Hara.
Who Was Left Out?
David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar did a tribute for 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'
Photos of fallen stars played in the background, honoring each of their careers. However, fans took notice when the slideshow excluded Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris, who passed away in March at 86.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz did a tribute of their own for the 30th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, acknowledging it had been a "tough two years" for the cast.
However, they failed to mention their late costar Nicholas Brendon, who passed away in March at 54 after battling atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He also was not included in the in memoriam segment
Patrick Muldoon and Daveigh Chase were both left out of the memorium.
Days of Our Lives and Starship Troopers actor Patrick Muldoon, who passed away in April, was also excluded from the slideshow, as was The Gong Show panelist Jaye P. Morgan, who died in August at 94.
Actress Daveigh Chase, who died in June at 25, and performer Grizz Champman, who passed away at 52 in May, were left out of the heartfelt segment as well.
The tribute, which was notably longer than in years prior, can not include every entertainer who passed away in the year between award shows. The planning committee tries to spotlight those whose careers focused on television specifically, Variety reported.
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'Glaring Omissions'
Some fans called Chuck Norris' omission 'glaring.'
Still, that didn't stop fans from reacting to the notable exclusions on social media.
"They honored Buffy on the same night and still left Xander off the scroll," one person commented about Brendon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer character.
"Sarah and David wouldn't even mention his name," a second added.
"Chuck Norris wasn’t excluded from the In Memoriam. The In Memoriam was excluded from Chuck Norris," a third made a lighthearted joke about the situation.
"Chuck Norris, who starred for nine seasons as Walker, Texas Ranger… Glaring omission," a fourth claimed.
"In memoriam segments are already easy to get wrong, but leaving out multiple recognizable names makes the omissions especially noticeable," yet another wrote.
Some speculated that Chuck Norris' support of Donald Trump could be the reason he was left out.
Other fans suggested that some stars' problematic histories may have been the reason behind their exclusion from the tear-jerking segment.
"Norris was a homophobic MAGA and we all know Nicholas' skeletons in his closet," a commenter coldly noted.
Brendon was accused of mistreating a contractor renovating his home in March. Court filings claimed he put an AirTag on a man he hired in order to track him.
