NEWSLiza Minnelli Reveals Heartbreak Over Oscars Wheelchair Incident
Liza Minnelli reflected on the 2022 Oscars wheelchair incident in her candid new memoir.
March 1 2026, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Liza Minnelli recently expressed her dissatisfaction regarding her appearance at the 2022 Academy Awards.
The iconic actress alleged that she was "inexplicably ordered" to present the Best Picture Award from a wheelchair. In her upcoming memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, she shares her thoughts on the matter, revealing an emotional experience.
Liza Minnelli said she was ordered to use a wheelchair at the 2022 Oscars.
Minnelli, known for her role in Cabaret, claimed she was not consulted about the decision to use a wheelchair. “I was inexplicably ordered — not even asked — to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all,” she stated, explaining that she had initially planned to use a director's chair. She found the reasoning behind this decision absurd, saying, “I was told it was because of my age, and for safety reasons… which was bulls---. I will not be treated this way, I said.”
The actress alleged that Lady Gaga, her co-presenter that evening, wanted her to use the wheelchair. “My co-presenter insisted she would not go on stage with me unless I was in a wheelchair,” Minnelli remarked.
Liza Minnelli alleged her co-presenter insisted on the arrangement.
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Critics have started to question whether Gaga's actions were genuinely altruistic or merely performative. Minnelli noted that Gaga stepped in after she stumbled over her lines, stating, “Gaga, who was at my side, didn't miss a beat to play the kindhearted hero for all the world to see.”
Liza Minelli described feeling frustrated during the moment.
The standing ovation Minnelli received from the audience highlighted her status in Hollywood. Gaga remarked, “Do you see that? The public, they love you!” But Minnelli struggled with the teleprompter, finding her view obstructed from the wheelchair. “I was much lower down than I would have been in the director's chair,” she explained, underscoring the challenges she faced.
Following the ceremony, Gaga visited Minnelli in her dressing room to check on her. “I looked at her and said simply, 'I'm a big fan,'” she recalled.
The story appears in her upcoming memoir.
Minnelli’s upbringing instilled in her the value of grace under pressure. “At a moment of high stress, you stay gracious,” she shared, referencing her legendary parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. This lesson became particularly relevant during such a public and challenging moment.
