Warren Beatty ‘refused to hand over infamous envelope’ after Oscars Best Picture snafu

INSIDERS say ‘paranoid’ Oscars presenter Warren Beatty tussled with a PwC accountant for the infamous envelope after the Best Picture fiasco.

ACTOR Warren Beatty refused to hand over the envelope evidence to Oscars security after the now-famous flub that erroneously crowned La La Land as the year’s Best Picture.

A source at the awards show told The New York Post that an embarrassed Beatty was backstage after the epic error, and was about to step into an elevator with fellow stars and PricewaterhouseCoopers brass when he was ordered to turn over the envelopes that caused the confusion — but he refused.

“Beatty was getting into an elevator, and they asked him to turn over the envelopes,” said a source who saw the exchange. But, “He said no, he was going to keep them.”

Beatty’s wife Annette Bening reportedly called him while he was at the post-Oscars Governors Ball, suggesting he to return home after the embarrassing debacle, but Beatty refused, saying he had done nothing wrong.

Warren Beatty tightly grips the award envelope as he leaves the stage with Moonlight star Mahershala Ali. Picture: Christopher Polk/Getty Images/AFP

The source said Beatty wanted the envelopes as proof he wasn’t responsible for the awards accident.

“Warren can be a bit paranoid,” the source noted, “with his politics and everything.”

Vanity Fair reported that during the elevator incident, the show’s stage manager “Gary Natoli ... approached Beatty,” telling him that “security would like the envelopes.”

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But that Beatty shot back, “I’m holding onto them. I’ll give them to [Moonlight director] Barry Jenkins at an appropriate moment.”

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Beatty and Faye Dunaway gave La La Land Best Picture when they were given a duplicate envelope for the Best Actress category. The best picture was actually Moonlight.

After the error, Beatty was seen in a tussle onstage for the Best Picture envelope with PWC’s Brian Cullinan — the accounting exec who handed him the wrong envelope in the first place — and the actor successfully had two envelopes as he walked off.

Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty accidentally gave the Best Picture Oscar to La La Land. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Beatty carried them to an after-party, and was seen at the academy’s official Governor’s Ball explaining the snafu to execs from Lionsgate, which put out La La Land.

Beatty did not attend the vaunted Vanity Fair party, though Dunaway did, and was overheard saying, “I really [bleeped] that up,” Variety reported.

Moonlight distributor A24 later posted an image of the Best Picture card, captioned, “It’s real, we got the proof.”

La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz holds up the winner card showing the actual Best Picture winner, alongside Warren Beatty and host Jimmy Kimmel. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

This story originally appeared in The New York Post and has been republished here with permission.

Inside the Oscars ceremony

PWC, ACADEMY SORRY FOR OSCARS GAFFE

The full text of Monday’s statement from accounting firm PwC on the best picture debacle of Sunday’s Oscars was: “PwC takes full responsibility for the series of mistakes and breaches of established protocols during last night’s Oscars. PwC partner Brian Cullinan mistakenly handed the back-up envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Once the error occurred, protocols for correcting it were not followed through quickly enough by Mr Cullinan or his partner.

“We are deeply sorry for the disappointment suffered by the cast and crew of “La La Land” and Moonlight.

“We sincerely apologise to Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Academy, none of whom was at fault for last night’s errors. We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to each of them for the graciousness they displayed during such a difficult moment.

For the past 83 years, the Academy has entrusted PwC with the integrity of the awards process during the ceremony, and last night we failed the Academy. ”

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences responded, saying in their statement: “We deeply regret the mistakes that were made during the presentation of the Best Picture category during last night’s Oscar ceremony.

“We apologise to the entire cast and crew of La La Land and Moonlight whose experience was profoundly altered by this error.

“We salute the tremendous grace they displayed under the circumstances. To all involved including our presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the filmmakers, and our fans watching worldwide we apologise.

“For the last 83 years, the Academy has entrusted PwC to handle the critical tabulation process, including the accurate delivery of results.

“PwC has taken full responsibility for the breaches of established protocols that took place during the ceremony. We have spent last night and today investigating the circumstances, and will determine what actions are appropriate going forward. We are unwaveringly committed to upholding the integrity of the Oscars and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”

Originally published as Warren Beatty ‘refused to hand over infamous envelope’ after Oscars Best Picture snafu