Tori Spelling Slams Luke Perry’s ‘In Memoriam’ Omission, Academy Responds to Backlash
The 2020 Oscars ceremony made headlines Sunday when various stars and industry members were excluded from the “In Memoriam” reel. And now the Academy is speaking out amid the backlash.
One of the most notable was Luke Perry, best known for his roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and most recently Riverdale. The actor, who died in 2019 at the age of 52, made his final onscreen appearance posthumously as Wayne Maunder in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Considering his involvement in one of the year’s most-nominated films, it was surprising to see Perry wasn’t among the stars being honored during Billie Eilish’s musical performance. Complaints abounded, one of which came from Perry’s former 90210 costar Tori Spelling.
Taking to social media, she wrote, “Now two of the most creative and talented men I have ever known, loved, and lost have not been mentioned in the #oscars memoriam. First, my Dad Aaron Spelling who passed in 2006 and now my friend Luke Perry who passed in 2019. 😢”
Now two of the most creative and talented men I have ever known, loved, and lost have not been mentioned in the #oscars memoriam. First, my Dad Aaron Spelling who passed in 2006 and now my friend Luke Perry who passed in 2019. 😢
— Tori Spelling (@torispelling) February 11, 2020
Following the public outcry, the Academy released a statement via Deadline.
“The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment,” the statement began. “An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time. All of the submissions are included on Oscar.com and will remain on the site throughout the year.”
The “In Memoriam” segment played out over nearly four minutes with 58 people honored. Perhaps a longer song or a quicker run-through would have allowed for more inclusion. Only time will tell if the awards ceremony will make changes to the system, until then let us know which stars you felt were snubbed by the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” in the comments below.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services