Backlash Ensues After Several Stars Left Out of Oscars 2026 ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute [WATCH]

The 2026 ceremony of the Academy Awards sparked criticism online after several well-known actors were not included in the event’s annual “In Memoriam” tribute honoring members of the entertainment industry who died during the past year, as reported by Page Six.

Among the names not featured in the segment were James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane.

Van Der Beek died in February after a battle with colon cancer.

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Dane died later the same month from ALS.

Following the broadcast, social media users reacted to the omissions on X, where viewers questioned why both actors were not included in the tribute segment.

“What a missed opportunity,” one user wrote.

They had 3 tributes. Why??? Redford, Keaton and Rob Reiner. They could have done one for Reiner and added all the others they left out. What a missed opportunity and sad day for a poorly run Oscars event. No surprise

— CLOCKWORK ANGELS (@waaf86) March 16, 2026

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Another person commented, “It was wrong to leave them out.”

James was in several films, no matter how big or small they were, it’s still film. It was wrong to leave them all out

— ℳ ℬ❤️‍ ℴ⚜️ ❦ ❦ (@WhoDat_Mindi09) March 16, 2026

Some observers noted that both Van Der Beek and Dane were widely recognized for their television work, even though each actor also appeared in films during their careers.

Both actors died shortly before the Academy Awards ceremony aired.

Their omission came after a similar controversy the previous year involving Michelle Trachtenberg, who was also not included in the tribute during a previous broadcast despite her acting career in film and television.

Several additional performers were also left out of the 2026 segment. Those not included in the tribute included actress Brigitte Bardot, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Robert Carradine.

The tribute segment did recognize several other notable figures in the entertainment industry.

Those honored included Catherine O’Hara, Robert Duvall, and Diane Ladd.

The ceremony also included extended tributes to several figures in Hollywood. These included director Rob Reiner, actress Diane Keaton, and actor Robert Redford.

Redford, who died in September 2025 at the age of 89, was honored with a performance by Barbra Streisand, who sang “The Way We Were,” the title song from the pair’s 1973 film.

Actress Rachel McAdams also paid tribute to Keaton during the segment.

McAdams referred to her “Family Stone” co-star as a “legend with no end” in remarks delivered during the ceremony. Keaton died five months before the event at age 79.

Another extended tribute honored Reiner, who died in December 2025 after he and his wife, Michele Reiner, were stabbed to death at their home in Los Angeles.

Actors, including Kiefer Sutherland and Meg Ryan, participated in honoring Reiner during the ceremony.

Ahead of the broadcast, Oscars producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan discussed the process behind assembling the “In Memoriam” segment.

“It’s everything from graphic design to titles to placement, because it all matters,” Kapoor said. “Who follows who, where those beats happen — it’s very nuanced.”

Kapoor added that the production team continues editing the tribute until close to the broadcast because the list of names can change.

“The team that puts together the film is almost working all the way up to the show because there are so many changes and revisions,” he explained.

“It’s a chance for people to say goodbye. It’s a chance for them to see some of their favorite people one more time, and it’s a memory.”

Mullan said the past year had brought a large number of losses within the film industry.

“The industry has had an incredibly tough year of losses,” she said, adding that “so many cinema titans have passed away.”

El In Memoriam completo de Los Oscars.

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Rob Reiner, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Robert Redford, Val Kilmer… pic.twitter.com/W8CrvOhU5D

— Lugar Cinema (@LugarCinema) March 16, 2026

Despite the explanations from producers, criticism continued online following the ceremony as viewers debated which names were included — and which were missing — from the annual tribute.

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