NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Liza Minnelli was 'sabotaged' at the Oscars, says her friend Michael Feinstein

BANG! Showbiz
20 Apr, 2022 08:25 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Playback Denied: Unavailable

      Error Code: VIDEO_CLOUD_ERR_VIDEO_NOT_PLAYABLE
      Technical details :
      Video is not currently available for playback.
      Session ID: 2025-07-12:a3d2e3e9ee875148aa4691cd Player Element ID: vjs_video_6304591631001

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      Josh Emett and the eclair that became an icon

      UP NEXT:

      Autoplay in
      3
      Disable Autoplay
      Cancel Video
      21 March 2021 | Lady Gaga supports Liza Minnelli as they present Best Picture Oscar. Video / AP

      Liza Minnelli was "sabotaged" at the Oscars, says her friend Michael Feinstein.

      The 65-year-old singer claims that the 'Cabaret' icon appeared on stage at the 94th Academy Awards to present the Best Picture prize with Lady Gaga to 'CODA - in a wheelchair instead of the director's chair she was promised due to her "back trouble".

      Minnelli's long-time collaborator Feinstein claims the Academy let his friend down by not fulfilling their promise to allow her to appear on stage in a director's chair as was agreed prior to the event.

      Read More

      • Chris Rock's cheeky new dig at Will Smith Oscars slap ...
      • Oscars 2022: Moment seat-filler photobombed Will Smith ...
      • Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years following ...
      • Oscars attack: Will Smith refused to leave awards, ...

      Appearing on SiriusXM's 'The Jess Cagle Show', he said: "You know, that whole thing was, she was sabotaged. That's a terrible word to use, but she only agreed to appear on the Oscars if she would be in the director's chair, 'cause she's been having back trouble.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "She said, 'I don't want people to see me limping out there.' She said, 'You know, I wanna look good. I don't want people to worry about me.'"

      Liza Minnelli appeared on stage in a wheelchair instead of the director's chair she was promised. Photo / Getty Images
      Liza Minnelli appeared on stage in a wheelchair instead of the director's chair she was promised. Photo / Getty Images

      Feinstein asserted that the 76-year-old performer - who is the daughter of the late Hollywood legend Judy Garland and her second husband Vincente Minnelli - was forced out in a wheelchair because the event's production team were "shaken up" after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

      He said: "And then literally, literally five minutes before she went on, when she sat in the director's chair back there, and because every, I guess they were all shaken up because of everything that had happened earlier, the stage manager said, 'Well, she has to be in a wheelchair' and Liza pleaded."

      Feinstein revealed that the ordeal "made her look like she was out of it", which was not the case, and the experience upset Minnelli.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      He said: "She was nervous. I mean, and it made her look like she was out of it. And she was just so shaken up that it was. Can you imagine being suddenly forced to be seen by millions of people the way you don't wanna be seen? That's what happened to her. And she was very disappointed at that, that happened and it was not what was agreed to."

      Feinstein assured everyone that Minnelli is "doing well" and called it a "shame" how it played out.

      He said: "So she's, she is really doing well and it's a shame that it turned out that way. She was very disappointed."

      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from Entertainment

      Entertainment

      Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune star Claire Chitham reflects on career and life lessons

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Entertainment

      Barnie Duncan shares his favourite spots in Auckland

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Entertainment

      Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

      12 Jul 05:00 AM

      Get your kids involved in your reno

      sponsored
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Recommended for you
      Life in the balance: What it's like to be young, on a transplant waitlist
      Kahu

      Life in the balance: What it's like to be young, on a transplant waitlist

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune star Claire Chitham reflects on career and life lessons
      Entertainment

      Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune star Claire Chitham reflects on career and life lessons

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Barnie Duncan shares his favourite spots in Auckland
      Entertainment

      Barnie Duncan shares his favourite spots in Auckland

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      The great 'goat menace' of 1949
      The Country

      The great 'goat menace' of 1949

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Meet Auckland's unstoppable Shens: 2 brothers, 21 awards, 2 world-class uni scholarships
      New Zealand

      Meet Auckland's unstoppable Shens: 2 brothers, 21 awards, 2 world-class uni scholarships

      12 Jul 05:00 PM

      Latest from Entertainment

      Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune star Claire Chitham reflects on career and life lessons

      Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune star Claire Chitham reflects on career and life lessons

      12 Jul 05:00 PM

      How escaping the limelight brought on the actor's second act and personal fulfilment.

      Barnie Duncan shares his favourite spots in Auckland

      Barnie Duncan shares his favourite spots in Auckland

      12 Jul 05:00 PM
      Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

      Robert Irwin pays forgotten restaurant bill, owners praise his 'class'

      12 Jul 05:00 AM
      Premium
      The 50 best horror films of all time – ranked

      The 50 best horror films of all time – ranked

      12 Jul 05:00 AM
      Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
      sponsored

      Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • NZ Herald e-editions
      • Daily puzzles & quizzes
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search