Now it’s G against the Academy. Giuliana Rancic — already in the headlines Tuesday for her controversial critique of Zendaya’s Oscar dreadlocks — lashed out against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Monday’s episode of Fashion Police for leaving Joan Rivers out of its In Memoriam segment during the 2015 Oscars.
Rancic, 40, was discussing Lupita Nyong’o’s pearl-studded gown, which blended in with the backdrop of the step and repeat on the red carpet. “Her dress sadly fell flat on the red carpet,” Rancic noted, “because of this damn backdrop, so she has no one but the Oscars to blame.”
Rancic then hoisted up both of her middle fingers and remarked: “And screw them anyway for leaving Joan out of the In Memoriam segment.” She then very boldly added again with her middle fingers up: “And f— you.”
The crowd then cheered in response while Rancic’s fellow Fashion Police co-hosts Kathy Griffin, Kelly Osbourne, and Brad Goreski nodded in agreement. “I agree,” Griffin said, while Osbourne applauded and said “Amen. Amen.”
Griffin chimed in and said it was “a miss” for the Academy to leave out Rivers. “She was in feature films and it was an odd miss,” Griffin reflected. “It’s almost like even posthumously, she’s still a rebel.”
Joan’s daughter Melissa Rivers, the executive producer of Fashion Police, made a more measured statement about her mother’s absence from the segment via Facebook on Monday. “It would have been nice, especially considering the impact she had on the awards season,” Melissa wrote.
The Academy, for its part, attempted to explain why Rivers was left off the In Memoriam segment. Rancic, however, was less than pleased with the Oscars’ treatment of Rivers overall. “Let’s all blame them,” Rancic said on Monday’s Fashion Police. “Let’s blame them for everything!”
One thing for certain that Rancic cannot blame the Academy for her remarks about Zendaya’s hairstyle at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 22. The E! News host had to apologize to the talent after she said Zendaya probably smelled “like patchouli oil… or maybe weed.”
