Accountants Responsible for Best Picture Flub Will Not Work Oscars Again, Academy Says
There will be repercussions for the two accountants responsible for the shocking Oscars Best Picture flub on Sunday night.
An Academy spokesperson confirms to ET that the two PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants, Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz, will not work the Oscars again. Meanwhile, the Academy's relationship with PwC remains under review.
PwC also confirmed the news to ET, adding that Cullinan and Ruiz will remain partners at the firm.
MORE: Oscar Envelope Handler Brian Cullinan Caught Tweeting Minutes Before Best Picture Flub
A post shared by The Academy (@theacademy) on Feb 20, 2017 at 11:38am PST
Cullinan has been identified as the one who gave presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope on Sunday night, leading to La La Land being mistakenly awarded the Best Picture Oscar as opposed to the actual winner, Moonlight.
In a statement from PwC on Monday, the accounting firm took full responsibility for the mistake, and called out Cullinan for not only handing out the wrong envelope, but for him and Ruiz not acting quickly enough once the mistake was made.
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"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," the statement obtained by ET read. "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," the statement continued. "We sincerely apologize 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."
Cullinan, 57, has also come under fire for tweeting just three minutes before the Best Picture Oscar was announced. The tweet -- a picture of Emma Stone holding her Best Actress Oscar backstage -- has since been deleted.
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ET spoke to Cullinan on the red carpet before the show Sunday, when he reinforced his and Ruiz's important role during the night. "We stand backstage and we hand the envelope to the presenter right before they walk out," he said.
Cullinan, who's been a part of the Oscar balloting team since 2014, has yet to comment on the blunder.
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