Lana Del Rey’s “Young & Beautiful” Reportedly Victim Of Dastardly Oscar Smear Campaign

Lana Del Rey has fallen victim to some sneaky Academy Awards sabotage, even though she hasn’t even officially received a nomination yet. Del Rey’s track from The Great Gatsby, “Young & Beautiful,” is on the Academy’s preliminary list for Best Original Song (which comprises 74 other songs, including a few more from Gatsby). But Deadline reports “an anonymous envelope was mailed to members of the Academy music selection committee” containing a purported Variety article saying “Young And Beautiful” had been disqualified due to a technicality involving the film’s changed release date.

Since the Academy is somewhat notorious for ruling worthy songs ineligible, often due to logistical minutiae, this seemed plausible. (For instance, last year, there was worry that Adele‘s “Skyfall” wouldn’t be eligible because it interpolated the classic Bond theme.) But Warner Bros. looked into the matter, and it turns out the “Variety” article was bogus. While efforts to identify the sender have come up empty, the studio, along with Interscope, is reassuring Academy members who received the letter that “Young & Beautiful” is still eligible.

Even this fickle Oscar beast can’t deny Lana.

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