Two accountants behind Oscars Best Picture debacle ‘banned’

THE accountants responsible for the Best Picture stuff-up will never return to the Oscars, as previously unseen photos reveal what led to the monumental error.

THE president of the film academy says the two accountants responsible for the Best Picture debacle at the Academy Awards will never return to the Oscars.

PwC accountants Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz were responsible for the winners’ envelopes.

It comes as previously unseen photos show Callinan tweeting backstage in the moments which led to the envelope mix-up.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’, said the relationship with PwC — the accounting firm responsible for the integrity of the awards — remains under review.

This previously unseen image of PwC accountant Brian Cullinan tweeting backstage ... a move that led to the Best Picture debacle. Picture: Splash

La La Land producer Fred Berger speaks at the microphone as production staff and representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers scrambled on stage to work out what happened. Picture: Getty Images

Cullinan tweeted a photo of Emma Stone from backstage minutes before handing presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope for Best Picture — and was pictured on his phone backstage.

Ms Isaacs has broken her silence following the biggest blunder in the 89-year history of the Academy Awards, also apologising to Australian movie producer Jan Chapman whose photo was incorrectly displayed during the in memoriam segment.

HOW A TWEET DERAILED THE OSCARS

She said Cullinan’s distraction caused the error.

But she praised presenters Beatty and Dunaway and Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel for gracefully taking charge of the situation. She also lauded La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, whom she said “went from a nominee to a winner to a presenter in a matter of minutes”.

Boone Isaacs lamented that “the last 90 seconds” of the telecast have overshadowed what she described as “the most brilliant and wonderful show”.

Warren Beatty and Brian Cullinan backstage at the Oscars. Picture: Splash

The moment Brian Cullinan was distracted backstage. Picture: Splash

It came after Warren Beatty had called on Ms Isaacs to “publicly clarify” what happened during the bungled best picture presentation “as soon as possible”.

Brian Callinan, right, holding two Oscars envelopes ... and a phone. Picture: Andrew H. Walker/REX/Shutterstock

Brie Larson, left, being handed the Best Actor envelope by accountant Brian Cullinan. Picture: AP

Beatty released a statement in which he declined to comment further on the debacle that led to him and co-presenter Faye Dunaway mistakenly reading La La Land as best picture winner rather than Moonlight.

The hastily-deleted tweet from Brian Cullinan, reportedly sent three minutes before the Best Picture gaffe. Picture:Twitter

Timeline: The 2017 Oscars TV gaffe in pictures

VIEW GALLERY

“I feel it would be more appropriate for the president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, to publicly clarify what happened as soon as possible,” said Beatty.

Earlier this week, Cullinan was blamed for the error by PricewaterhouseCoopers chairman Tim Ryan.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs has banned Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz from the Oscars. Picture: AP

“At the end of the day, we made a human error,” Ryan told USA Today in a statement this week.

“We made a mistake. What happened was, our partner on the left side of the stage, Brian Cullinan, he handed the wrong envelope to Warren Beatty.

“And then the second we realised that, we notified the appropriate parties and corrected the mistake.”

ACCOUNTANT FEELS ‘HORRIBLE’ OVER OSCARS ERROR

Brian Cullinan — the accountant blamed for the Best Picture stuff-up who is a partner at PwC — is said to be “devastated” over the scandal.

Ryan told Variety that Cullinan feels “very, very terrible and horrible”.

“He is very upset about this mistake,” Ryan said.

“While I am concerned I hope we will be judged on how quickly we reacted and owned up to the issue.”

PwC global chairman Bob Moritz said Cullinan was “devastated”.

“He’s really devastated by what happened and some of the issues that were out there, and what’s been said by the press,” Moritz said, of Cullinan, according to Business Insider.

“Not only him but also his family.” So what is his future at the firm?

“Brian is a partner at PwC, and I won’t comment any more specifically on him,” Moritz said, according to Business Insider.

Andrea Cullinan, wife of Brian Cullinan, seen out and about amid her husband’s Oscars ban. Picture: Splash

ACADEMY APOLOGISES TO AUSTRALIAN PRODUCER

The academy also said sorry to the Australian movie producer it incorrectly displayed during the in memoriam segment.

In a statement, the academy extended “our deepest apologies” to producer Jan Chapman, whose photo was mistakenly used in the tribute instead of Chapman’s colleague and friend, the late Janet Patterson. Chapman had said she was “devastated” by the error.

Originally published as Two accountants behind Oscars Best Picture debacle ‘banned’