Just One Social Media Post Could Cost Michelle Yeoh Her Oscar Nomination
With the Oscars fast approaching and emotions running high, one of the main Oscar nominees is in hot water... because of Cate Blanchett. Yep, once again.
Now that Everything Everywhere All at Once is in the spotlight and has collected every possible award in the pre-Oscar period, surpassing The Return of the King's record for number of awards, Michelle Yeoh has become the frontrunner for the Best Actress on Oscar.
Michelle's main competition is Cate Blanchett for her role in the movie Tár.
Michelle Yeoh has deleted an Instagram post that mentioned Cate Blanchett and highlighted the lack of actresses of different nationalities among the winners.
Yeoh did not write anything herself, she reposted an article from Vogue, but that may be enough to violate the Academy's rules.
The article questions whether Kate needs a third Oscar, given that she is already an undeniable and universally praised star, while in the case of Michelle, an Oscar could change her acting prospects for the better, to put it mildly.
Currently, the only woman of color to win an Academy Award for Best Actress is Halle Berry, who was honored for her work in the 2002 film Monster's Ball.
This means that Yeoh's win could make her the second woman of color, and the first Asian, to win the female lead award.
Michelle Yeoh's violated Academy rule №11, which states that nominees cannot publicly address their rivals or mention their names in an attempt to sway the minds of the award's judges.
And it's not the first time this year's Oscar nominees have walked the line.
After Andrea Riseborough unexpectedly received an Oscar nomination for To Leslie, the Academy investigated a post on the film's official Instagram account that also mentioned Blanchett.
Consequently, the Academy concluded that the post did not merit rescinding the actress' nomination for the award.
Fans agree that there was no malicious intent in Michelle's post, and a recent precedent gives confidence that there will be no punishment from the Academy.
However, there is every reason to believe that next year's Academy rules will be stricter.
Bill Kramer, Movie Academy CEO, has already announced that changes will be made to create a better foundation for a respectful and impartial campaign.