While most of the talk after the 2022 Oscars has been about Will Smith and Chris Rock, there’s another duo who deserve more attention: Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli.
Gaga, who presented the final award for the evening alongside Minnelli, has received praise for how she responded and interacted with the legendary actor.
Lady Gaga is such a special one.
The way she's gently handling Liza (and Tony Bennett so many times before) shows you her heart. #TheOscars
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) March 28, 2022
At the end of the ceremony, Gaga and Minnelli appeared on stage to present the final award of the night. As the crowd applauded the duo, Gaga stood off to the side giving the 76-year-old her time to shine.
“Do you see that? The public, they love you,” Gaga said as she leaned in and grabbed the star’s hand.
The singer-songwriter and actress also acknowledged Minnelli by announcing she was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cabaret. Minnelli won Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1972 film.
Minnelli, who had cue cards in her hand, then began introducing the films nominated for Best Film. She stumbled with her words for a brief moment, but Gaga quickly took over.
Before the clips of the nominees were shown, Gaga leaned over to Minnelli and whispered “I got you.”
Their microphones also picked up Minnelli’s response, “I know, thank you.”
More about Gaga and Liza, less about Will and Chris, pls ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Bd9jbAyf3I
— Michael Baggs (@MichaelBaggs) March 28, 2022
While they announced the night’s final winner, CODA, Minnelli told Gaga, “I’m so happy to be here, especially with you – I’m your biggest fan.”
People online were quick to react to the stars’ emotional moment.Many also compared Gaga’s treatment of Minnelli to the singer’s relationship with Tony Bennett.
In my opinion this was the best part of the Oscars. This is a great example of how we need to treat our elders.