PricewaterhouseCoopers Blames Accountant for Envelopegate: He Didn’t Act ‘Quickly Enough’
PricewaterhouseCoopers is once again apologizing for Envelopegate and says their own accountant not only caused the problem, he didn’t act quickly enough to correct it.
In a statement released on their Twitter page, the company said, “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.”
They added, “Once the error occurred, protocols for correcting it were not followed through quickly enough by Mr. Cullinan or his partner.”
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The company also apologized not just to the folks behind Moonlight and La La Land, but to “Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Academy, none of whom was at fault for last night’s errors.”
They concluded by saying, “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 Picture Arts & Sciences also tweeted a statement Monday night, saying, “We deeply regret the mistakes that were made during the presentation of the Best Picture category during last night’s Oscar ceremony. We apologize 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 apologize.”
They added, “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.”
Tim Ryan, U.S. chairman and senior partner at PwC, says he has spoken at length with Cullinan about the incident, saying, “He feels very, very terrible and horrible. He is very upset about this mistake. And it is also my mistake, our mistake, and we all feel very bad,” Ryan told Variety.
According to Deadline, a PwC exec was scheduled to appear on Anderson Cooper 360 on Monday night, but canceled just before the show.
