Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment used wrong person’s photo

The Oscars mistakenly used a photo of Australian producer Jan Chapman as they honored Australian costume designer Janet Patterson during the "In-Memoriam" segment remembering those who'd died in the last year. Photo courtesy of ABC

Feb. 27 (UPI) — Australian producer Jan Chapman said she is “devastated” that her photo was wrongly used to represent her late friend Janet Patterson during the Oscars “In Memoriam” segment.

“I was devastated by the use of my image in place of my great friend and long-time collaborator Janet Patterson. I had urged her agency to check any photograph which might be used and understand that they were told that the Academy had it covered,” the filmmaker said in a statement to Variety.

“Janet was a great beauty and four-time Oscar nominee and it is very disappointing that the error was not picked up,” she continued before noting, “I am alive and well and an active producer.”

Patterson, an Australian costume designer who died in October 2016, was previously nominated for the films “Portrait of a Lady,” “Oscar and Lucinda,” “Bright Star” and “Piano,” which she worked on with Chapman.

Patterson’s name and occupation were correctly listed during the segment.

The photo of Chapman that was used, CBS News reported, is erroneously labeled Janet Patterson in Getty Images, which may have lead to the mistake.

It was one of two big flubs during the Oscars show, as “La La Land” was wrongly announced as the Best Picture winner instead of “Moonlight” after presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope to read.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm that has overseen the Oscars ballot-counting process for 83 years, apologized and has vowed to investigate.

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