Oscars 2016: Abe Vigoda Missing From In Memoriam at Oscars
The "Godfather" actor died this year at the age of 94.
— -- The Academy has responded to criticism of the In Memoriam segment during last night's Oscars.
"The Godfather" actor Abe Vigoda, who died in January at the age of 94, was left out of the tribute, as was Juliette Lewis' father, actor Geoffrey Lewis.
In a statement released on Monday, an Academy spokesperson said that the omissions weren't malicious.
“There were many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year’s Oscars show," the statement read. "We have, however, included many of them in our In Memoriam gallery on Oscar.com.”
This is not the first time the In Memoriam segment has been the subject of controversy. Last year, fans were angered that Joan Rivers was not included, and the Academy issued a similar statement in response.
"Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year's Oscar show," read a statement released at the time. "She is, however, included in our [online] In Memoriam gallery."