It wasn’t my fault! A red-faced Warren Beatty (above) tries to explain his epic Oscar gaffe to the bosses of the studio behind “La La Land.”
In the biggest Academy Awards flub of all time, Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the wrong winner for the final award, Best Picture, as “La La Land.” Hollywood’s biggest A-list stars then looked on aghast — after several “La La Land” producers made their thank-you speeches — as show organizers in headsets rushed on stage to announce the real winner was actually “Moonlight.”
Moments after the show ended in chaotic style Sunday night, Beatty headed to the afterparty, the Governors Ball, where he was tackled by Lionsgate’s co-chair of the motion picture group, Erik Feig, and Rob Friedman, the studio’s former co-chairman, who is now special adviser to the office of the CEO.
In the picture, exclusively obtained by Page Six, a wincing Beatty is seen holding up his hands, trying to explain how the disaster unfolded.
He and Dunaway were somehow given the wrong envelope by the Academy’s accountant, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, to announce the biggest award of the night.
Instead of the Best Picture envelope, they were handed a duplicate envelope revealing the Best Actress prize, which had already been awarded to Emma Stone. Beatty had hesitated, then showed the card to Dunaway, who read, “La La Land.” Aside from the prestige a Best Picture Oscar win brings, it usually results in a box office boost.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers on Monday issued a mea culpa for the fantastical fail. “We sincerely apologize to ‘Moonlight,’ ‘La La Land,’ Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for Best Picture,” said the firm, which has overseen the Academy’s ballot counting for 83 years. It was reported that the firm has two envelopes for each category, which are held in suitcases by executives on either side of the stage.
“The presenters had mistakenly been given the wrong category envelope, and when discovered, was immediately corrected. We are currently investigating how this could have happened.”
A mortified Beatty had said on stage as the snafu began to sink in, “I opened the envelope and it said ‘Emma Stone, “La La Land.”‘ That’s why I looked at Faye and at you. I wasn’t trying to be funny.”
Meanwhile, a furious Dunaway was in no mood to address the matter during the Governors Ball. “I am not going to speak about it,” she told THR.