Liza Minnelli, the legendary star of stage and screen, is once again making headlines—this time not for her dazzling performances, but for a candid revelation in her newly released memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! The book, published on March 10, 2026, dives deep into Minnelli’s storied career, but it’s her account of the 2022 Academy Awards, where she presented the Best Picture Oscar alongside Lady Gaga, that’s capturing the public’s attention. According to excerpts published by PEOPLE, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter, Minnelli’s recollection paints a picture of frustration, heartbreak, and grace under pressure at one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.
On March 27, 2022, the 94th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles were already swirling with drama—occurring just after the infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock incident. But for Minnelli, the real drama unfolded backstage. She had expected to present the Best Picture award from the comfort of a director’s chair, a compromise that would allow her to participate without drawing undue attention to her health. Instead, as she recounts in her memoir, she was “inexplicably ordered—not even asked—to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all.”
“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 bullshit. I will not be treated this way, I said,” Minnelli writes. The actress, now 79, describes feeling “heartbroken” by the Academy’s decision, noting that the wheelchair placed her much lower than the director’s chair would have. This seemingly minor difference had a major impact: “Now I couldn’t easily read the teleprompter above me.”
As reported by Entertainment Weekly and Variety, Minnelli’s memoir details how the last-minute change left her struggling to deliver her lines. “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 asks readers, inviting them to imagine the vulnerability of her position. The result was a moment that millions witnessed: Minnelli stumbled over her words while announcing the Best Picture nominees.
But the story didn’t end there. According to Minnelli, Lady Gaga—her co-presenter and a pop icon in her own right—“didn’t miss a beat to play the kindhearted hero for all the world to see.” As Minnelli faltered, Gaga leaned down and said, “I got you.” The exchange, which was widely praised at the time as a touching display of support, is recounted with a hint of skepticism in Minnelli’s memoir. She suggests that Gaga’s gesture, while kind on the surface, may have been more performative than genuine. “My co-presenter insisted she would not go on stage with me unless I was in a wheelchair,” Minnelli claims, adding another layer to the night’s already complex emotions. “I was heartbroken.”
After the ceremony, Gaga reportedly visited Minnelli’s dressing room to check on her. “Are you okay?” Gaga asked, to which Minnelli simply replied, “I’m a big fan.” Reflecting on the encounter, Minnelli writes, “I learned this lesson years ago from Mama and Papa. At a moment of high stress, you stay gracious.” The reference to her famous parents—Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli—serves as a reminder of the old Hollywood values she still holds dear, even as she navigates new challenges.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declined to comment on the situation when approached by multiple outlets, including Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter. Lady Gaga’s representatives also did not respond to requests for comment, leaving Minnelli’s account largely unchallenged in the public sphere.
For viewers at home, the moment may have seemed like a heartwarming display of intergenerational camaraderie. Gaga and Minnelli, representing two eras of show business, stood together as the audience gave Minnelli a standing ovation. “Do you see that? The public, they love you!” Gaga said, to which Minnelli responded, “Oh, yes, but now what am I— I don’t understand,” as she sorted her cue cards. The duo then announced the winner: the film CODA, a title Minnelli would later describe as fitting for her own story. “I loved the irony of the title for me. Writing my memoir would be my coda, my truth. There’s always a rainbow—if you know where to look for it,” she reflects in her book.
Yet, as The Hollywood Reporter notes, there’s more to the story behind the scenes. Minnelli’s longtime friend Michael Feinstein, who has an “as told to” credit on the memoir, previously told SiriusXM that Minnelli only agreed to appear at the Oscars if she could use a director’s chair. “She said, ‘I don’t want people to see me limping out there. I want to look good. I don’t want people to worry about me.’” A source close to the 2022 Oscars told The Hollywood Reporter that the switch to a wheelchair was made when it became clear it was necessary for Minnelli’s safety, as part of a desire to protect her.
The debate over whether the Academy’s actions were justified continues to simmer. Some argue that the decision was made out of genuine concern for Minnelli’s well-being, while others see it as an unnecessary imposition that robbed her of agency in a pivotal career moment. The lack of direct comment from the Academy and Gaga only adds to the intrigue, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions from Minnelli’s heartfelt narrative.
Looking back, Minnelli’s account of the evening is as much about resilience as it is about disappointment. She writes about finding dignity in the face of adversity, drawing on the lessons of her famous lineage. “At a moment of high stress, you stay gracious,” she repeats, a mantra that has served her well through decades in the spotlight.
As Variety and Entertainment Weekly both highlight, the incident has become a defining chapter in Minnelli’s later years—a moment that, for better or worse, encapsulates the complexities of aging in the public eye. Her memoir, released to considerable anticipation, is already sparking conversations about respect, autonomy, and the unseen pressures faced by Hollywood’s elder statespeople.
For Minnelli, the 2022 Oscars may have been a bittersweet milestone, but her willingness to share the unvarnished truth ensures her voice remains as vital and compelling as ever. Sometimes, the most memorable performances happen offstage, in the pages of a book where legends tell their own stories—on their own terms.