In her new memoir, the Cabaret legend shares why the Oscars night left her shaken but still determined to stay gracious.
When Liza Minnelli appeared onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards, the moment was meant to celebrate Hollywood history.
Instead, she now says it became one of the most difficult nights of her life.
In her upcoming memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, the Oscar winner revisits the ceremony and claims she was “ordered” to use a wheelchair rather than the director’s chair she says she had agreed to.
According to Minnelli, the sudden change left her feeling hurt and unprepared.
“I was inexplicably ordered — not even asked — to sit in a wheelchair or not appear at all,” she writes, explaining that she had been told it was for safety reasons due to her age and concerns she might slip.
Minnelli, who has dealt with back issues, says she was ready to manage her appearance carefully. She wanted to look confident and in control.
Instead, she found herself seated lower than expected, struggling to read the teleprompter above her. When she stumbled over a few words while presenting the Best Picture award, the moment quickly went viral.
Standing beside her that night was Lady Gaga, who gently reassured her onstage, saying, “I got you,” and guiding the presentation forward. Minnelli writes that although she felt vulnerable, she appreciated Gaga’s support.
Later, the singer reportedly visited her backstage to check in.
Minnelli says she drew strength from lessons learned from her parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. “At a moment of high stress, you stay gracious,” she writes.
Her longtime friend Michael Feinstein previously suggested she had only agreed to appear if she could sit in a director’s chair, noting her concerns about mobility and public perception.
A source close to the production of the 2022 Oscars told The Hollywood Reporter that organizers believed the wheelchair was necessary for Minnelli’s safety.
Now, years later, Minnelli’s reflection offers a fuller picture of what viewers didn’t see — a proud performer navigating vulnerability in front of millions, still choosing poise in the spotlight.
