Rachel Zegler Wasn't Invited To The Oscars And Twitter Is Pissed
It's a snub on top of a snub.
by Ani Bundel
Ian West - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images
The critically-lauded West Side Story remake got lots of awards love, with seven Oscar nods. But the Academy snubbed lead Rachel Zegler, with no Best Actress nomination. Now, fans are horrified to learn Zegler wasn’t invited to the 2022 Oscars.
20th Century Studios
With West Side Story landing seven nominations, fans naturally assumed the lead actor would be at the even to celebrate. Zegler had to break the bad tidings — via a now-viral Instagram comment — that she would not be attending.
Instagram
Here’s a good breakdown of why fans are so upset.
There are two players who could be at fault here: The Academy for failing to A) nominate Zegler or B) give her a presenter slot, and Disney, for not making sure there was a backup ticket for her in case of A or B.
But fans don’t really care who is to blame. Zelger should be going, and she’s not, and that’s all that matters.
Make it make sense!
Considering the lengths the Academy is going to in hopes of bringing in more viewers and placating broadcaster ABC (including cutting eight categories from the broadcast), this oversight is genuinely remarkable.
It’s even more shocking when you remember ABC is owned by Disney, the same company that produced West Side Story and then failed to make sure Zegler had a ticket.
I mean... the Oscars have added an entire nonsense category, extra songs, and silly gimmicks in hopes of bringing in viewers when one invitee could have done the trick 100 times over.
Zegler’s fortunes for this year’s Oscars have fans wondering what the universe has against her.
However, at least one Hollywood director (Gloria Calderón Kellett, of the canceled One Day At A Time remake) pointed out there is a pattern here, which should cause concern.
As for Zegler, when she discovered her snub had gone viral, she seemed legitimately embarrassed. She thanked fans for their support but reminded them that these things happen, and sometimes it’s best to accept them with grace and humility.