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Liza Minnelli’s Memoir Alleges Oscars Wheelchair Pressure, Recounts Life in the Spotlight

Drawn from taped conversations with Michael Feinstein, the book also includes excerpts of Judy Garland’s recordings.

Overview

  • Kids, Wait Till You Hear This One! was published March 10 by Grand Central Publishing after years of oral-history sessions that began in 2014.
  • Minnelli alleges she was told she could present at the 2022 Oscars only if she used a wheelchair and says Lady Gaga backed producers; requests for comment to Gaga and the Academy had not yielded detailed responses at publication.
  • She portrays a turbulent childhood with Judy Garland and reiterates her view that Garland’s 1969 death was an accidental overdose, not suicide.
  • Minnelli details decades of addiction, including a 2003 collapse and encephalitis, a March 2015 rehab stay, and writes that she is now 11 years sober.
  • The memoir revisits notable romances and marriages and offers behind-the-scenes accounts from her film, television and stage career.