Liza Minnelli Felt ‘Sabotaged’ by Oscars Appearance With Lady Gaga

In 2022, Liza Minnelli and Lady Gaga presented the award for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Minnelli appeared on stage in a wheelchair, sparking discussion about her health. She said that this had not initially been the plan. In her new memoir, Minnelli said she feels Gaga was the reason for the change, which she said left her “heartbroken.”

Liza Minnelli admitted she felt betrayed by Lady Gaga at the Oscars

When Minnelli originally prepared to appear onstage at the Oscars, she thought she would sit in a director’s chair next to Gaga. 

“I was inexplicably ordered — not even asked — to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all,” she wrote in her book Kids, Wait Till You Hear This (via People), adding, “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.”

Minnelli said she learned that Gaga insisted she present the award in a wheelchair.

“My co-presenter insisted she would not go on stage with me unless I was in a wheelchair,” she wrote. “I was heartbroken.”

She noted that because she was sitting so much lower than expected, she couldn’t see the teleprompter. This led to her stumbling over her words. She believes Gaga jumped on the opportunity to look good in front of the audience.

“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?” she asked. “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.”

Liza Minnelli’s friend also spoke about how she felt about the Oscars moment with Lady Gaga

Shortly after the ceremony, Minnelli’s friend and co-writer Michael Feinstein spoke about how she felt during the show.

“She was sabotaged,” he said on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show. “That’s a terrible word to use, but she only agreed to appear on the Oscars if she would be in a director’s chair, because she’s been having back trouble. 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.’”

He added that the sudden change made Minnelli “nervous.” As a result, he felt that her appearance did not go at all as planned.

She said they spoke after the singer learned about her distress

According to Minnelli, Gaga spoke to her after learning that she was unhappy with the situation.

“After learning of her distress, Gaga came to her dressing room and asked her: ‘Are you okay?’ I looked at her and said simply, ‘I’m a big fan.’”

She said that even though she was upset, she wanted to present herself well.

“I learned this lesson years ago from Mama and Papa,” she said. “At a moment of high stress, you stay gracious.”