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Ryan O'Neal wanted to applaud for his longtime girlfriend Farrah Fawcett during the "In Memoriam" presentation at this year's Oscars. Unfortunately, he and other fans didn't get the chance -- because the late actress was not included in the montage.
"There is no comment other than we were disappointed that she was not included," O'Neal's rep said in a statement to People magazine after the broadcast. Later, O'Neal personally told paparazzi that he was "confused" and "shocked" by the omission. Many others took notice of the conspicious snub, including Jane Fonda and Roger Ebert, who both made angry remarks on Twitter.
Many speculate that Fawcett, who died last June at the age of 62 after a long and public battle with cancer, was passed over by Oscar producers because she was primarily known as a TV actress. Yet Fawcett was much more than one of Charlie's Angels. The world-famous beauty was appearing in movies as early as 1969, and her nearly 40-year film career earned her a Golden Globe nomination (for 1986's Extremities) and an Independent Spirit Award nomination (for Robert Duvall's wonderful 1995 drama The Apostle). We're with O'Neal: how could the Academy overlook her?
Fawcett wasn't the only dearly departed celebrity who was snubbed during Sunday's show. Other notable stars who were absent from the "In Memoriam" montage were Bea Arthur and Ricardo Montalban -- both also known primarily as TV actors, but both of whom made contributions to the movies (Arthur, for one, earned a Golden Globe nod for her performance as Lucille Ball's "bosom buddy" Vera in the 1974 musical film Mame). Among the 30 celebs who did appear into the segment: Patrick Swayze, Brittany Murphy and Michael Jackson.
Plus: Ryan O'Neal Left Out of Farrah Fawcett's Will
Should Farrah Fawcett have been included in the "In Memoriam" segment? Chime in below!
