Viewers Outraged After Jessica Walter, Naya Rivera Excluded from Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ Segment

Lisa O'Connor; Paul Morigi/Getty Images
Lisa O'Connor; Paul Morigi/Getty Images
Alana Mastrangelo

A Throng of those watching the telecast of the 93rd Academy Awards were outraged to see that actresses Jessica Walter and Naya Rivera, as well as musician Adam Schlesinger, were left out of the 2021 “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday.

The “In Memoriam” segment honored a plethora of actors, producers, directors, and writers — including Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died in August of cancer at age 43, and Oscar winner and James Bond star Sean Connery, who died in October at age 90 — but failed to acknowledge Walter, Rivera, and Schlesinger.

Fans took to Twitter to express their dismay over the late stars being excluded from the 2021 “In Memoriam” segment.

“The In Memorium section of the #Oscars is always rough, but how on earth did they not include Jessica Walter,” one Twitter user asked.

“I was fully expecting to see Naya Rivera’s name in this segment. Was I the only one?” another inquired.

“How in the world is she not included wtf is going on?!” a third user replied.

“Not including Jessica Walter in the In Memoriam is truly a disgrace….” another commented.

“They are foul for not putting Naya Rivera in the in memoriam,” another tweeted.

“Naya Rivera was left out of the In Memoriam by the [The Academy] now too. Naya deserves better, and we will remember her forever,” another said.

“I know every year they miss some people in the In Memoriam, but not including Adam Schlesinger is a REALLY big miss,” one Twitter user wrote.

“ok but where was Adam Schlesinger in the in memoriam,” another Twitter user said.

“Adam Schlesinger should have been in that in memoriam,” another tweeted.

“It was actually a good show until the In Memoriam then everything crashed and burned,” one Twitter user expressed.

Jessica Walter — who starred as Lucille Bluth on Fox’s Arrested Development, and had roles in films such as Slums of Beverly Hills, and Play Misty for Me — died in March at the age of 80.

Glee star Naya Rivera was confirmed dead last summer at the age of 33, after drowning in a California lake.

The Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger, who had been nominated for Best Original Song at the 1997 Oscars for “That Thing You Do!,” died of the Chinese coronavirus last April at the age of 52.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler @alana, and on Instagram.

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