Rachel Zegler Shaded The Oscars For Not Inviting Her While Onstage At The Show

Rachel Zegler may not have been initially invited to the Oscars, but she ultimately made it to the show — and she made sure to shade the Academy once she got onstage. The West Side Story star, wearing Dior Haute Couture, was joined as a presenter by Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, who said he never thought he would attend the Oscars while growing up in Australia. “And I never thought I’d be here six days ago,” Zegler quipped. “Dreams do come true — really fast.”

Her comment is in reference to the reveal she made just a week before the show. When a fan commented on one of Zegler’s Instagram posts, “Can’t wait to see what you’ll be wearing on Oscar night,” Zegler responded, “I’m not invited, so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.” After outcry spread across social media, the actor explained in a separate Instagram comment that she had tried every method possible to score a ticket but hadn’t been successful. Still, she was hoping “some last-minute miracle” would let her attend.

Two days later, on March 22, the Academy announced that Zegler would present at the Oscars. “Well folks, I can't believe I’m saying this but... see you on sunday!”she tweeted, adding that Disney re-arranged the shooting schedule of its live-action remake of Snow White — which Zegler is currently shooting in London — so she could attend the show. “I’m so excited to open that shiny envelope,” she said. “I could not be more grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. Seriously. Now, what to wear...”

Much of fans’ fury was directed at the Academy for failing to invite Zegler, the lead of Best Picture nominee West Side Story (though she wasn’t individually nominated in any category). However, it actually wasn’t their choice. As reported by Variety, studios are given an unknown allotment of tickets and allowed to decide who to invite. This means the production company behind West Side Story — the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios — is responsible for the snafu. When the Academy opted to have Zegler present at the show, they saved Disney from having to make that call.