Michelle Yeoh accused of ‘foul play’ to steal Oscar from Cate Blanchett

The actress Michelle Yeoh is the protagonist of the film Everything Everywhere at the Same Time, which has been nominated for an Oscar in 2023. The film tells the story of an elderly Chinese immigrant who embarks on an adventure where she must save the universe by connecting to her parallel lives.

However, Yeoh has found herself in controversy after she posted a screenshot of an article by Vogue titled “It’s been over two decades since we’ve had a Best Non-White Actress winner. Will this change in 2023?” on her official Instagram account on the day of the closing of the votes for the Oscar 2023.

In the article, the issue of systemic racism within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is discussed. Yeoh also talks about how important it is for her to win the prize, rather than Cate Blanchett.

In the aforementioned publication, it is mentioned that the representation of people of color in the Oscars is still lacking, particularly in the category where Yeoh is nominated, as she is the only non-white contestant.

The publication of Vogue, written by Radhika Seth, cinema and culture editor, suggests that it would be much more significant if Yeoh won the award for Best Actress instead of Cate Blanchett, who is nominated for the film Warehouse and is the favorite to win the statuette.

“Critics will say Blanchett’s performance is the strongest. The acting veteran is unquestionably incredible as prolific bandleader Lydia Tár. But remember that she already has two Oscars (Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator in 2005 and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine in 2014). A third might confirm her status as an industry titan, but given her extensive and unrivaled work, do we need even more confirmation? Meanwhile, an Oscar would change Yeoh’s life: her name would forever be prefixed with the phrase ‘Oscar winner,’ and she deserves bigger roles after a decade of being underutilized in Hollywood,” the controversial paragraph reads.

This caused displeasure among many netizens who accused her of engaging in inappropriate actions in violation of the statutes of the Hollywood Academy. While sharing the text, she added the following sentence: “It’s not just for me. It’s for all the little girls who look like me. We want to be seen. We want to be heard.”

As a result, social media turned on the actress from the film The Tiger and the Dragon, who appears to be campaigning hours after the Oscars close on March 7.

Furthermore, several users have interpreted the article by Vogue as a direct attack on Blanchett. They are therefore calling for an investigation to be carried out if she has violated the rules by sharing the article.

According to the campaign rules of the Hollywood Academy, as stated in the section on references to other candidates, “any tactic aimed at referring to ‘the competition’ by name or title is expressly prohibited.”

Therefore, it seems that an error has been made by sharing the text where Cate Blanchett is mentioned, and it remains to be seen whether or not she should win the Oscar 2023. However, this ultimately depends on each individual’s consideration. So far, neither the Academy nor Blanchett has commented on the matter.

It is important to remember that Andrea Riseborough, nominated for her role in Leslie, was investigated by the Academy and is also the subject of controversy, as the film was not nominated for other awards such as the Bafta, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, or Critics’ Choice Award.

Additionally, actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Adams, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, as well as Edward Norton, showed “excessive” support for the actress, even raffling off passes for people to see the film.