Rachel Zegler says she was not invited to the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, despite playing the lead role of Maria in the multi-nominated “West Side Story.”
Director Steven Spielberg’s film musical revival has received seven Academy Award nods, including Best Picture. It is customary for stars of such prominent contenders to be guests, even if they weren’t nominated.
The apparent snub surfaced over the weekend, when a fan on Instagram said they “couldn’t wait to see” what Zegler would wear to the ceremony.
“I’m not invited, so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel,” she replied.
Fans expressed outrage, and Zegler has responded a few times.
“I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” she wrote. “I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. thanks for all the shock and outrage — I’m disappointed, too. but that’s OK. So proud of our movie.”
On Sunday, Zegler, who will be featured in the “Shazam!” sequel and as the title princess of Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White,” tried to quell the Oscar uproar, asking fans to “respect the process.”
While some anger has been aimed at the academy for the perceived diss, Deadline reported that ticket distribution “rests on the shoulders of the studios,” which would be Disney.
HuffPost did not immediately hear back from Disney.