The Oscars have been a hot mess for a while now, from host controversies to sloppy attempts to deal with the pandemic. But this year’s iteration may be the most chaotic. In a desperate attempt to improve plummeting ratings, the 2022 show has made the controversial move to not air a mess of awards live, instead peppering those wins throughout the night’s telecast. If that weren’t enough, they allegedly neglected to invite the incredibly popular star of one of the night’s most nominated movies.
Wait… what?! How the hell is @rachelzegler NOT invited to the #Oscars?
For the first time in like EVER, 2021 had a multiple of amazing Latino-led films and here’s an opportunity to showcase our people in awards shows. I really hope
@TheAcademy makes this right! pic.twitter.com/KwbRA2ZrFN— Vanessa (@prlatina44) March 20, 2022
That person is Rachel Zegler, who was still 17 when Steven Spielberg chose her for the iconic role of Maria in his take on the classic musical West Side Story. His film is currently nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. And yet when/if it wins anything, Zegler allegedly won’t be there in person, not only despite being one of its stars but also despite winning a Golden Globe for her acclaimed performance.
“Idk y’all i have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” Zegler wrote in a comment on Instagram. “I will root for west side story from my coach and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago.”
When Zegler got the gig in January 2019, it was but a month after she first posted what became a viral video of her singing “Shallow,” Lady Gaga’s biggest song from the 2018 version of A Star is Born. Would it be smart for a show looking to overcome a nadir in ratings to invite the incredibly online popular star of a movie that itself has become belatedly popular now that it’s streaming? Almost certainly!
Neither Zegler’s representatives nor the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have since commented on her claim, but her official Twitter account did like a tweet that called out the alleged injustice.
Officially a Rachel approved tweet #WestSideStory pic.twitter.com/lY1uop01XR
— Vanessa (@prlatina44) March 20, 2022
Of course, it’s not too late to reverse this. “I hope some last minute miracle occurs and i can celebrate our film in person,” Zegler wrote in her Instagram comment, “but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, i guess.”
West Side Story streams on Disney+ and HBO Max. The Oscars air on March 27.
(Via The Daily Beast)
