Every year, the Emmy Awards pay tribute to the stars we’ve lost in the past year with a touching “In Memoriam” segment. While not everyone makes it onto the memorial, many fans were surprised that several big names – including Kobe Bryant, Kelly Preston and Nick Cordero – did not appear on this year’s montage and went on Twitter to express their confusion and disappointment.
Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, along with his daughter Gianna and 7 other people. Many pointed out that the Primetime Emmys’ venue, Staples Center, is also known as “the house that Kobe built,” and while he was not an actor, he was a television mainstay throughout his career.
“Okay also the Emmys left out Kobe in the memoriam tribute…..? they were literally IN the staples center HIS HOME ? Disappointed,” one fan wrote.
“Umm @TheEmmys how do you manage to leave out Kobe Bryant from the In Memoriam while filming at Staples Center?” another fan tweeted.
“Am I the only one confused as to why kobe wasnt a part of the in memoriam section??? he was literally involved in the film industry and even has an emmy governors award. they had to make the choice to exclude him like it’s so weird,” one Twitter user shared.
Others pointed out that while Kelly, who passed away on July 12 after her battle with cancer, was more known for her films roles, she also had several notable appearances on several television shows and TV movies.
“Kelly Preston was better known for film, but she made appearances on television shows and deserved to be included in the In Memoriam. #Emmys,” one fan pointed out.
“You had one job #emmy,” one person tweeted. “Memoriam #KellyPreston 💔 how could you leave her out 😭”
“Shouldn’t Kelly Preston have been in the in memoriam? #Emmys,” another fan wondered.
There were also those who were surprised that Nick was not included in memorial. The actor passed away from COVID-19 complications on July 5, after a months-long battle with the illness.
“Hey @TheEmmys on @ABCNetwork. Why wasn’t @iamNickCordero included in your #InMemoriam? He was on TV shows like @BlueBloods_CBS and @nbcsvu. Plus he died from #COVID19. Disappointed at the #Emmys 😤 #NickCordero,” one fan wrote.
“I’m surprised Nick Cordero wasn’t included in the Memoriam. #Emmys,” another expressed.
Nick’s longtime pal, Zach Braff, gave fans an update on why Nick wasn’t included in the memorial.
“For those wondering: The Emmys chose to leave Nick Cordero out of the memorial montage. I had no idea one had to campaign to get their loved one in. We did. They passed,” the Scrubs star tweeted.
He also shared a note which read: “Those involved in the In Memoriam selection process are very aware of the sad passing of Mr. Cordero due to coronavirus and we assure her that his name has been given every consideration for inclusion. With so many people passing in any given year, we simply cannot ensure any particular individual is included, nor do we release the names of those included prior to the telecast.”
Zach also pointed out that the montage did not include his Scrubs co-star Sam Lloyd.
“I should mention too, that they also left out Sam Lloyd. I would have never even considered “campaigning” for Sam because he had more TV credits than most actors I know,” Zach added.
Fans also went on the platform to drop the names that they expected to see – like Mythbusters star Grant Imahara, Monty Python co-creator Terry Jones, horror icon Sid Haig, and two-time Oscar winner and Emmy nominee Olivia de Havilland.
The Emmys has cited time constraints as a factor in not being able to include everyone who died in the past year in the tribute. However, they do maintain a more extensive “In Memoriam” tribute on their website.
