bridesmaid

Wendi McLendon-Covey shared a message to everybody wondering why she missed the “Bridesmaids” reunion at the 2026 Oscars: Don’t worry, she’s fine.

“I had a neck lift last week because I’m tired of looking like a melting candle,” McLendon-Covey wrote in an Instagram post Sunday. “So I had to skip the Academy Awards. No drama. Everything is fine.”

The caption — complete with a winking emoji blowing a kiss — accompanied a photo of the “St. Denis Medical” star wearing a bandage around her face and neck.

McLendon-Covey indicated she had received some messaging asking why she did not take part in the reunion, which saw her “Bridesmaids” co-stars Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph and Ellie Kemper share the Oscars stage to present the Academy Awards for original score and sound.

Directed by Paul Feig, the 2011 comedy followed the misadventures of a group of bridesmaids led by the maid of honor, Annie, played by Wiig (who also co-wrote the film). McLendon-Covey portrayed the bride’s (Rudolph) cousin, Rita.

“Bridesmaids” stars Melissa McCarthy, left, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Ellie Kemper reunited on stage at the 98th Academy Awards.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“I cannot believe it’s been 15 years,” Wiig said when the cast took the stage Sunday. “Now, we are not good with numbers, but we figured out backstage that means we shot this movie in 1883.”

The cast then proceeded with a bit that involved each of them reading notes supposedly written by their fellow actors in the audience, with the name-dropped A-listers playing along.

“First of all, you ladies look extremely beautiful tonight,” said Rudolph, reading the first note. “You’re all aging well.”

The note was supposedly signed by “Sentimental Value” actor and nominee Stellan Skarsgård.

McCarthy later followed up with another letter commenting on the “Bridesmaid” cast’s looks.

“I also agree you ladies look radiant,” McCarthy read. “All the things you’ve done to your faces are very tasteful. Yours truly, Elle Fanning. … Just kidding, it’s me again, Stellan Skarsgård.”

Wiig and Kemper rounded things out by reading notes addressing the length of their bit and the length of the show, respectively.

The big question surrounding last year’s Academy Awards was whether the show would address the L.A. wildfires, which had rattled the city mere months prior.

This year, the elephant in the room is the ongoing Iran war, which like last year’s wildfires, puts a celebration like the Oscars in sharp relief. But for Conan O’Brien, balancing gravity and levity is part of his job description as host.

“My job is to always try and hit this very, very thin line between entertaining people and also acknowledging some of the realities,” O’Brien said during a Wednesday news conference with the Oscars creative team.

“It’s a dance that goes on up until the show begins,” the former talk show host said, adding that he and his team of writers are still revising material ahead of the show to ensure their content is as relevant as possible.

“Between us,” he said, referencing Oscars telecast executive producers Katy Mullan and Raj Kapoor, “we will find the right tone.”

O’Brien also during the news conference recalled Johnny Carson’s turn hosting the Oscars during the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans, including diplomats and other personnel, were held hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran from 1979 to 1981. The comedian remembered the television host parodying ABC’s “Nightline” with his joke, “It’s day 444 of the Oscars.”

“It was such a funny, topical joke that touched on something everyone was thinking about, and at the same time, got a big laugh and was unifying,” O’Brien said. “That was meaningful to me.”

Kapoor said during the news conference that the production team is putting systems in place to alleviate attendees’ safety concerns amid the tense global situation and reported threats to California.

“Every year, we monitor what’s going on in the world,” the showrunner said, adding that the ceremony has the support of the FBI and LAPD. “This show has to run like clockwork.”

He added, “Everybody that is coming to this show, that is witnessing this show, that is even a fan of the show when they’re standing outside the barricades — we want everybody to feel safe and protected and welcome.”

As for the telecast’s creative direction, the team cited “human touch” as a unifying theme — a not-so-subtle slight to AI.

“We’re celebrating human touch, human connection and what I like to call actual intelligence, as opposed to artificial,” said music director Michael Bearden. “We want to get back to the communal … and so the music will reflect that.”

That spirit of celebration will be especially tangible in the “KPop Demon Hunters” performance, Kapoor said. That performance will be complemented by a “Sinners” moment featuring Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq as well as guests Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith.

“We have this lovely story celebrating Korean culture with authentic Korean drummers and singers and even choreography,” the producer said. “So again, we’ve expanded our reach, and we’re telling these global stories, celebrating international films that have had a global impact and doing things in a really different way.”

Mullan and Kapoor closed the news conference by teasing a pair of reunions featuring cast members from “Bridesmaids” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Bridesmaids” alum Rose Byrne is nominated for a lead actress Oscar for her role in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” which marked O’Brien’s dramatic acting debut. (If Byrne wins, he said, “half that Oscar’s mine.”)

“We’re gonna have superstars, superheroes, and there is also going to be an extraterrestrial on the stage, so you can figure that one out,” Mullan said.

The 2026 Oscars will air live Sunday on ABC, with streaming available on Hulu, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.