Idina Menzel wishes ‘wickedly talented’ Adele Dazeem a happy 10th birthday
Happy 10th birthday, to the “wickedly talented†Adele Dazeem. Love, your alter ego, Idina Menzel.
The Tony Award winner, whose name was infamously mangled by John Travolta during the 2014 Oscars telecast, is laughing at the infamous flub a decade later.
“Hey, Adele Dazeem, it’s Idina Menzel. I just want to say happy birthday,†Menzel, 52, said in a video greeting posted Sunday on Instagram and TikTok. “I’m sending you so much love and positive energy. I hope you have the best, best day.â€
The “Frozen†franchise and “Wicked†stage musical star then sang “Happy Birthday†in her tongue-in-cheek post, which came exactly a week before the 2024 Oscars are set to take place.
Indeed, it’s been 10 years since the “Pulp Fiction†and “Grease†superstar introduced Menzel as the “wickedly talented, one and only Adele Dazeem†before she took the stage to perform “Frozen’s†Oscar-winning “Let It Go†during the telecast.
At the time, Menzel said that it took her “eight beats†to get over the initial mispronunciation while she was backstage. (Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres also made sure to properly enunciate the “Glee†star’s real name after that.)
“Then it happened. I heard that. I quickly said, ‘Get out of your ego and do your thing,’†Menzel said on the “Today†show in 2014, adding that she didn’t want the gaffe’s publicity to detract from her projects.
She also didn’t want to “keep saying it†because she didn’t want Travolta to feel worse “because he sent lots of apologies and everything that were really nice.â€
Travolta, 70, publicly apologized to Menzel beyond his initial statement, insisting he’d “been beating myself up†over the blunder, which took on a life of its own on the internet almost as soon as he uttered the malapropism. In a later appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,†Travolta said the flub was a result of him being flustered backstage after meeting Goldie Hawn. That was compounded by a last-minute change to his lines — a new, phonetic spelling of Menzel’s name — and he was thrown because he “didn’t rehearse it that way.â€
The duo seemingly made nice and ultimately reunited on the Oscars stage a year later, giving rise to another viral moment when they presented the Oscar for original song to “Glory†artists John Legend and Common.
Menzel introduced her co-presenter as her “very dear friend Glom Gazingo,†and Travolta quipped that he “deserved that.†The reunion ended up going viral for a whole ’nother reason after the “Saturday Night Fever†star caressed and cupped Menzel’s face.
Another Oscars, another viral John Travolta moment.
“But you, my darling, my beautiful, my wickedly talented Idina Menzel,†he continued, palming her cheeks. The cringey exchange was actually a rehearsed bit, prompting that year’s Oscar host, Neil Patrick Harris, to predict that Travolta would be back the following year “to apologize to Idina for all the face-touching.â€
In an appearance on “The Elvis Duran Show†last year, Menzel said that the “super sweet†Travolta owed her one.
“I’m actually thinking ... since he does owe me one, of asking him to do a TikTok where he’s dancing to my disco music [‘Drama Queen’] since that is his strength. Yeah, I think he would,†she added.
As for Adele Dazeem, she lives rent-free in the heads of many of Menzel’s followers.
“I think about Adele Dazeem at least once a day,†one TikTok user commented on Menzel’s birthday greeting.
“10 years already? Adele Dazeem is growing up so fast! ðŸ˜â€ wrote another.
“Hilarious! 😂 Adele Dazeem still makes me laugh 10 years later!!†another user commented.
“She had the opportunity to do the funniest thing and my god did she take it. Icon,†wrote another.
From the Oscars to the Emmys.
Get the Envelope newsletter for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes stories from the Envelope podcast and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
