There are now photos of PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan — the man behind the infamous envelope mix-up —obtained by Variety, which led to Sunday’s epic gaffe in which La La Land was erroneously named best picture over Moonlight.
PWC has already confirmed Cullinan, a top executive at the firm, as the person responsible for giving presenter Warren Beatty the incorrect envelope.
The newly uncovered photographs (see below) not only show Cullinan engaged on his phone shortly before the “La La Land” miscommunication, he’s also photographed mixing two red envelopes backstage alongside Beatty and best actor winner Casey Affleck, who had just exited the stage.
This evidence would dispute PWC’s official explanation that Cullinan grabbed the wrong envelope from a “backup pile,” clearly showing that he was likely always in possession of both the best actress envelope (which was given to presenter Warren Beatty) and the best picture envelope, the night’s two final awards.
See Variety coverage, moment by moment
variety.com/2017/film/news/oscar-best-picture-gaffe-brian-cullinan-envelope-1201999283/