Liza Minnelli Says Being Put in a Wheelchair at the 2022 Oscars Left Her ‘Heartbroken’ — Who Felt the Impact First

Liza Minnelli’s account of the 2022 Oscars shifts the immediate impact onto the performer herself and the live moment that followed. In an excerpt from her memoir, Minnelli says she expected a director’s chair to present best picture but was instead told she had to use a wheelchair; she says that change made it hard to read the teleprompter and contributed to stumbling onstage. The memoir extract and ensuing reactions put Minnelli, the onstage dynamic with Lady Gaga, and how ceremonies handle elder performers squarely in focus.

Who was affected first — a performer’s visibility and dignity

Here’s the part that matters: Minnelli writes that she was ordered to sit in a wheelchair or not appear, was told it was because of her age and for safety, and that being lower than she expected made the teleprompter difficult to read. She says the move left her heartbroken and that she stumbled over a few words onstage. The immediate human effects, in her telling, were reduced visibility and a moment of public discomfort for the performer.

Liza Minnelli’s account and what she says happened onstage

Minnelli reflects on the 2022 Oscars appearance in an excerpt of her upcoming memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, that was shared on a Friday. She writes that she anticipated sitting in a director’s chair to present the best picture category but was instead placed in a wheelchair at the ceremony. She describes being told the decision was for safety — that she might slip out of the director’s chair — and rejects that rationale as false, saying she would not be treated that way and that she was heartbroken by being positioned much lower than the director’s chair would have been.

Because of the seating change, she says she could not easily read the teleprompter above her and that she stumbled over a few words while onstage. Lady Gaga, who was presenting best picture alongside her that night, immediately leaned down and reassured Minnelli and later visited her dressing room to ask if she was okay; Minnelli told Gaga she was a big fan. Minnelli writes that she learned from her parents to stay gracious in moments of high stress.

Companion details in the memoir and publishing timeline

Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! is scheduled for release on March 10; one mention of that date lists the year as 2026, and other coverage lists March 10 without a year. A story update on Feb. 20 added additional information. The memoir credits Michael Feinstein with an “as told to” credit; Feinstein previously discussed the viral Oscars moment in 2022 and described it as sabotage. A person close to the 2022 Oscars said Minnelli was asked to use a wheelchair when it was clear it would be necessary for her overall safety, framed as an effort to protect the actress.

Responses, silence and lingering questions

Some coverage notes that representatives for the awards organization were contacted for comment; other reporting says neither Lady Gaga nor the awards organization had responded to Minnelli’s remarks. The real question now is how these competing accounts — Minnelli’s description of being ordered into a wheelchair, a close source’s emphasis on safety, and a friend’s characterization of sabotage — will shape public interpretation of that onstage moment.

Who else this touches and early signals to watch

• Performers who appear at live awards ceremonies, especially older or mobility-challenged guests, are central to the issue Minnelli raises.
• Onstage collaborators and presenters — Minnelli and Lady Gaga in this instance — become focal points for audience perception when unexpected moments occur.
• Producers and stage safety teams face scrutiny over last-minute seating changes and how those choices are communicated to talent.

It’s easy to overlook, but the memoir frames the Oscars episode as part of a larger personal story: Minnelli connects the incident to lessons from her parents and to the idea of the memoir as a coda to certain chapters of her life. If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, the memoir’s March 10 release and earlier commentary from a longtime friend have already reanimated the moment for new audiences.

Mini timeline embedded in the narrative

• 2022 — Minnelli and Lady Gaga present the Academy Award for best picture; Minnelli appears in a wheelchair and stumbles over some words.
• 2022 — Michael Feinstein discusses the viral Oscars moment and characterizes it as sabotage; he holds an “as told to” credit on the memoir.
• March 10 (listed as March 10, 2026 in some mentions) — Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! is due to be released.

What’s being watched next will be whether further commentary or clarification appears from those present at the ceremony or from people involved in production, and whether the memoir provides more context that alters how the episode is viewed. The piece of the story that remains unclear in the provided context is whether the differing accounts can be reconciled; details beyond the memoir excerpt and those prior comments are not present here.