Corey Feldman Says No Hard Feelings Over Rob Reiner Oscars Tribute Snub

Stand By Me was a monumental movie in my childhood. While my parents certainly had loose guardrails in terms of what my brothers and I could and could not watch, the coming-of-age film felt special. It seemed like something that I should not be seeing, but would also be vital to my existence as a kid, being the first thing that felt like it was addressing me, but not talking down to me. And while we shared few similarities aside from wearing glasses, I was enamored with Teddy Duchamp, played by Corey Feldman.

Feldman would become someone who would excite me whenever he’d pop up in anything else. Mostly, I saw him in reruns of The Burbs and The Lost Boys. There was also that Friday the 13th film he was in (though that’s not really my franchise). I was also met with a deluge of jokes about “Coreys” because I grew up in the 90s, toward the end of that particular craze. It was also the end of Feldman’s adolescence, something I didn’t really realize until later.

I knew that people grew and aged, but Feldman was this cool young kid, to me, for so long. Finding out that he had become an adult before I even became familiar with him was incredibly jarring. And, to put it mildly, the guy has not had the easiest life. Now, he’s basically paparazzi fodder for having drug and alcohol issues, an odd social life, and also making accusations about Hollywood’s history with child abuse. However, he claims that isn’t why he wasn’t invited to an upcoming tribute to Rob Reiner at the Oscars.

Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were murdered in their home late last year. There will be a planned remembrance honoring Reiner at this Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, and Feldman addressed his lack of involvement on Twitter (via Variety). “I just want to briefly mention this Oscars thing! Yes, it’s true that I was not invited,” Feldman explained on the site. “I understand many believe it’s due to being outspoken about the abuse I suffered as a child and the campaign to silence me. However, this isn’t about me. It’s not my moment at all. It’s about the tragic loss of our friend Rob Reiner and his memory.”

The idea that Feldman was excluded from the ceremony first started making the rounds a few days ago, with articles mentioning that Feldman was devastated to be excluded, especially since it would include his co-stars, Jerry O’Connell and Will Wheaton, with whom Feldman has been touring in honor of Stand By Me’s 40th anniversary. Is this whole thing kind of making it about Feldman? Yes. Does he have a right to be a little salty after decades of hardship brought on by an uncaring industry? Absolutely.