Liza Minnelli claims she was 'forced' to appear in a wheelchair during 2022 Oscars presentation

If you thought the infamous Will Smith slap of 2022 was the only drama to come out of awards season that year, think again.In a moment that emerged from the very same ceremony that brought us the headline-making incident between Smith and Chris Rock, one celebrity has now alleged she was 'ordered' by the Academy to appear in a wheelchair.Liza Minnelli, 79, was a featured guest at the Oscars that year, tasked with presenting the titular Best Picture award alongside popstar Lady Gaga.But in an excerpt from her upcoming memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This, Minnelli claims she was forced against her will to be wheeled out for the presentation.According to the actress, she'd been expecting to be seated in a director's chair before that plan was reportedly scrapped last-minute by producers."I was inexplicably ordered − not even asked − to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all," the Cabaret star recalled in the preview published by People."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 bull----."READ MORE: William and Kate's united front at the BAFTAs after Andrew's arrestREAD MORE: All the best looks from the BAFTA Awards 2026 red carpetREAD MORE: Truth behind that photo of AndrewMinnelli then levelled accusations against her co-presenter, claiming Gaga had "insisted she would not go on stage with me unless I was in a wheelchair."During her brief monologue prior to announcing Best Film, the Poker Face singer gushed over Minnelli, saying she was honoured to appear alongside "true showbusiness legend."Minnelli's appearance was tied to the 50th anniversary of the 1972 musical film Cabaret, which earned her the Oscar for best actress at the time.The star went on to reference the moment she stumbled over her words while presenting, and was 'rescued' by the pop star in what appeared to be a heart-warming moment.For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.However, according to Minnelli, what the audience saw was not the reality.She claimed the wheelchair in question was "much lower down than I would have been in the director's chair," and she struggled to read the teleprompter as a result."When I stumbled over a few words, Gaga, who was at my side, didn't miss a beat to play the kind-hearted hero for all the world to see. 'I got you,' she said, leaning down over me."The pop star was seen taking ahold of Minnelli's hand, then kneeling down to open the envelope so Minnelli could read the winner."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?"Following the incident, a friend of Minnelli's, Michael Feinstein, made an appearance on the Jess Cagle Show to recount his version of events from where he witnessed them backstage.Claiming the actress had been "sabotaged" prior to the presentation, he revealed that producers, who were "shaken" by the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock prior, had told her to appear in a wheelchair to prevent further incident."Liza pleaded. She said, 'No. I will not be seen in a wheelchair in front of everybody. I will not do this. I refuse to do this.' And they said, 'Well, it's either that or nothing.'"According to Feinstein, Minnelli finally gave in and agreed to sit in the wheelchair, but the situation left her "so shaken up" that "it made her look like she was out of it."The Memoir, which is based off Minnelli's interviews with Feinstein, is slated for release on March 10.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.