3/8/2010
Kanye West Moment At Oscars
The film is a story of a Zimbabwean singer-songwriter who was born severely disabled, but Burkett tells Salon it was supposed to be about a whole band, and not just Prudence. "The movie was my idea," she says. "I live in Zimbabwe. Roger had never even heard of Zimbabwe before I told him about this."
By Oscar night, her frustration had boiled over. "You know, I felt my role in this [film] has been denigrated again and again, and it wasn't going to happen this time."
Williams, also speaking to Salon, argued that Burkett disowned the film because of the creative differences, but that she was still eligible for an award. He says the academy decided he would be the one to speak if they won.
"She just ambushed me," he said of the moment she emerged on stage. "I was sort of in shock."
So, did his mom really try to speech-block Burkett with her cane? "My mother got up to hug me," he says. "And my mother is 87 years old. She was excited."
Williams can't help but agree this situation was similar to Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at last year's MTV VMAs
"She did! She pulled a Kanye. And it's a shame, because this is such positive, happy film."
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