Oscars Producers RESPOND to backlash over Dharmendra, Eric Dane omissions in Memoriam segment

The 2026 Academy Awards might be over, yet the controversy encompassing its In Memoriam section persists. The show's producers have faced criticism for omitting several famous names, incorporating veteran star Dharmendra, from the televised tribute. Amidst the increasing backlash, broadcast executive Rob Mills, who supervises the telecast, provided his perspective on the criticism, protecting the section as one of the most intricate and demanding elements of assembling the show. The exclusions have ignited considerable debate among viewers and reviewers similarly.

In a Variety interview, Rob Mills, Walt Disney Television's EVP of unscripted and alternative entertainment, addressed the controversy surrounding the Oscars 2026 In Memoriam segment. He defended the decision to exclude certain names from the televised tribute.

Mills responded to criticism about the segment, which faced backlash for omitting several notable figures. He acknowledged the viewers' reactions to the omissions.

Rob clarified that the Academy ultimately decides the segment's inclusions, but it's a challenging process. “I think it’s the hardest thing they possibly do. It always is hard when they are sort of villainised for this. Yes, there’s always people who are left out. Unfortunately, we’re losing more and more people, and especially, we’re losing legendary people every year, so it is probably the hardest needle to thread. I do think what they did last night might have been the best In Memoriam in the history of the Oscars, he said.

In an interview with The Wrap, he admitted that conceptualizing the segment is always a big task.

Giving a peek into what goes behind it all, he said, “Robert Redford passed away before, and then when Diane Keaton passed away, and those are two monumental legends — this is in the fall. Now, the advantage we had too with the show was the producers were in place before last year’s show … so you can start planning for that now. When you lose people like that … the In Memoriam really needs to be really, really done — these are legendary names for losing. And then obviously the tragedy with Rob and Michelle Reiner was just awful. When that happened, I think that’s when they started to really think about, ‘Okay, how is this going to take shape? What are we going to do?’... It’s a big task that I think [Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan] met the moment beautifully.

The 98th Academy Awards, held in Los Angeles, disappointed viewers as several late icons, including Dharmendra, were omitted from the In Memoriam segment. The segment paid tribute to figures like Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, alongside other Hollywood legends such as Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton.

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Hema reacted to Dharmendra's omission, stating, "It is a shame, of course. A shame for them to have overlooked an actor who means so much to so many people across many parts of the world. Dharamji was known and recognised everywhere.

The absence of Dharmendra sparked considerable discussion online. Viewers expressed disappointment and questioned the selection process.