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Oscars In Memoriam: Producer Jan Chapman is not dead and is 'devastated' her image was included in montage

Producer says she was 'devastated' to see her image used instead of her costume designer friend

Roisin O'Connor
Monday 27 February 2017 10:38 GMT
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Photo of living woman used in Oscars montage

While Academy Awards organisers are likely still recovering from the blunder that saw La La Land mistakenly named over Moonlight as Best Picture winner, it wasn't the only one made on Oscars night.

Leading Australian producer Jan Chapman was "devastated" when her image was mistakenly used during the show's In Memoriam segment instead of a photo of costume designer Janet Patterson.

Patterson, an Australian costume designer and four-time Oscar nominee [The Piano, Portrait of a Lady, Oscar and Lucina and Bright Star] passed away in October 2016.

Her name and occupation were correctly used in the montage, but the photo used was of Jan Chapman, the still-living film producer who - to confuse matters further - was friends with Patterson and worked with her on The Piano.

Chapman issued a statement to Variety on the error which said: "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."

She added: "Janet was a great beauty and four-time Oscar nominee and it is very disappointing that the error was not picked up. I am alive and well and an active producer."

The Academy has yet to comment on the error.

This year's In Memoriam segment was controversial for also omitting to mention several notable celebrities who passed away in 2016. Garry Shandling and Florence Henderson were both missed out in the mentions.

Actor Bill Paxton, who died the weekend of the ceremony, was not included but his death was mentioned in an emotional tribute by presenter Jennifer Aniston.

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