William Shatner Feels 'Awful' He's Unable To Attend Leonard Nimoy's Funeral

[yuiyoshida]

William Shatner sent out a series of Tweets on Saturday expressing his grief over the loss of one his "dearest friends," Leonard Nimoy.

Sadly, due to a prior commitment that poses a scheduling conflict, Shatner is unable to attend Nimoy's funeral on Sunday.

"I am currently in FL as I agreed to appear at the Red Cross Ball tonight. Leonard's funeral is tomorrow. I can't make it back in time," he explained, adding in another Tweet, "I feel really awful. Here I am doing charity work and one of my dearest friends is being buried."

https://tv.yahoo.com/news/william-shatner-feels-awful-hes-unable-attend-leonard-194211168.html

[Kalidurga]

1. The Red Cross should call him up and just tell him to go.

Seriously he will be around to do another event another day. The moments he will have with the family and other people who were close to his friend are not replacable.

[Segami]

2. Shatner is full of s**t

[Kalidurga]

3. Could be

I don't know him. I do know he is no Leonard Nimoy though.

[Siwsan]

5. My brother worked on a Star Trek film wth Shatner and Nimoy

Specifically, he was Shatner's driver. At first he found Shatner to be an arrogant jerk. Not an unusual personality issue, in Hollywood. But, my brother refused to be intimidated by Shatner. He's pretty good at reading people but it was a risk because he very easily could have been fired. Eventually they fell into a comfortable working relationship and it turned out to be a wonderful experience for my brother. Shatner ended up writing him a very nice letter of recommendation for his CV file.

I remember being told that Nimoy was pretty annoyed about something to do with the script and wasn't in the best of moods. Too bad, because that's who my brother really wanted to drive.

[Kalidurga]

8. I have an appreciation for difficult people

when I was in customer service I insisted on handling all the very difficult customers (well unless the situation got completely out of hand then I got them a couple of managers). Most of them had very good reasons to be difficult and they almost always were happy by the time they left.

[Siwsan]

16. I usually take encounters with arrogance as a test

I've met very few difficult or arrogant people who can maintain that attitude when I hold my ground, look them square in the eye, and don't allow the intimidation to have any effect. They sometimes actually develop a degree of respect.

[Kalidurga]

44. Yes that works for me as well

Some double down and then they get the royal treatment. As in me being a royal pain..any who I get them a lot of attention because dealing with a hot mess like that was above my pay grade.

[zappaman]

35. Yup, in Hollywood you meet many who test you.

If you are not intimidated, you usually end up fine!

[Logical]

4. LOL, thanks for the informative post! nt

[Segami]

12. Shatner could have attended if he wanted to.....

"....The ongoing feud between Star Trek’s William Shatner and George Takei was reignited yesterday on the Howard Stern radio show, with Takei talking about how in 2004 William Shatner refused to join him and other Star Trek cast members for the on-stage finale of James Doohan’s farewell convention. Details and audio below.

Takei on Shatner’s “monstrous” refusal to join Doohan for on-stage finale

The 2004 Planet XPo "Beam Me Up Scotty…One Last Time" tribute in Hollywood, CA, was the last convention appearance for the late James Doohan, Star Trek’s Scotty, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s and passed away in 2005. The con featured appearances from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Grace Lee Whitney, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and other Trek and space celebrities. The event ended with most of the Star Trek stars joining a wheelchair-bound Doohan on stage for one final goodbye.

Wednesday on the Howard Stern radio show, the Stern 100 News segment discussed a now-deleted 2004 blog entry from James Doohan’s son Chris Doohan, which stated that William Shatner refused to appear on stage with Doohan for "Beam Me Up" con finale. According to Doohan, Nimoy had to leave for another event. However, Doohan’s blog says William Shatner specifically refused to participate. According to the report, Shatner told the con organizer:

Shatner: I don’t want to do this and I really don’t want to deal with all this Alzheimer’s crap.

Star Trek’s George Takei, who is appearing all week on Stern’s show, confirmed that he was there when Shatner made this refusal, saying Bill’s comment was a "monstrous statement".

Takei also stated:

Takei: It was not surprising, but yes shocking… This is the usual thing that happens, on the set whether it was the TV series or the movies, or at conventions. This was another convention where he decided he was not going to do what they wanted him to do, and he walked out.

http://trekmovie.com/2010/12/09/george-takei-william-shatner-refused-to-appear-on-stage-with-james-doohan-at-farewell-con/

[randome]

47. Like Nimoy, Shatner is 83 years old. I think the guy deserves a break.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Quackers]

52. Yep.

[merrily]

6. If he tried, he probably could get a celebrity to replace him at the Red Cross benefit.

[Kalidurga]

10. Maybe I dunno how theses things work I am not in the biz

But, I have a hunch on how it works if you are running a charity and if it was my decision I would send him off to the funeral, because this does not look good for either them or him. I don't think having a celebrity at this cost is a good thing, do you?

[merrily]

11. You don't have to be in show business. Imagine, if perish the thought, a good friend of yours of 40

or more years passed away. Do you think you find someone to cover for you doing a good deed for a good cause while you went to the funeral?

[Kalidurga]

14. No I imagine I would look for someone to cover for me.

What I don't know is if that is more easily said than done. That is why I think the Red Cross should have covered this. It does not look good on either party. It just doesn't. There should have been no opportunity for Shatner to even offer up such an excuse that they didn't just say go and he didn't just say I'm going. Neither looks good.

[merrily]

15. You think it was up to the Red Cross. I think it was up to Shatner.

IMO, it's not up to the Red Cross to put Shatner on the spot by calling his bluff publicly. I think it would have taken one or two well-chosen phone calls from Shatner to get someone to go in his place. I think he just didn't want to go. And, it seems from other posts that no one would have missed him if he just skipped the event. He was not the only celebrity there.

People who worked on Star Trek who will no doubt be at the service for "Spock" have long disliked Shatner. And maybe vice versa. I think Shatner is using the Red Cross as an excuse not to go.

[mercuryblues]

7. You mean

the Priceline Negotiator can't get a flight?

[monmouth4]

9. The Red Cross Ball was last night down here at The Breakers. Pictures galore today and Shatner

looked sad. Shirley McLaine and the Newton guy from Vegas and some other luminaries. Shatner could have skipped this and no one would have noticed....

[madokie]

13. Even though I never watched much of star trek

I like the actors especially these two

RIP Spock. Let us know what its like on the other side first chance you get.

[eShirl]

17. I'm not going to judge him.

[Paladin]

18. Give it a rest, Spock worshippers.

I'm betting that Nimoy would rather have Shatner working on behalf of the Red Cross, than attending the services.

[TBA]

19. Yep... just what I was thinking. nt

[DefenseLawyer]

20. Some people can't handle funerals

makes them face their own mortality a bit too directly I think. I guess this is a big deal if one places great importance in funerals. Not everyone does. If it was somehow really important to Nimoy's family that he be there then he should have gone. Otherwise it doesn't register on the outrage meter.

[Art_from_Ark]

45. I can't handle funerals

It wasn't my own mortality but the mortality of people I had been close to that got me. The last funeral I attended, I was so overcome with grief that my legs gave out from under me and I had to be helped back to my seat.

[BubbaFett]

21. They probably weren't the best of friends -

they worked together.

Come on, think about it: if any of you had a close personal friend or relative who died, you drop whatever you are doing and go there.

[onenote]

33. If I felt it was what my friend or relative wanted as compared to what I would be doing otherwise

You don't know what Nimoy would have wanted.

[BubbaFett]

36. Nor do I care

I'm just making a comment.

[onenote]

41. Apparently you cared enough to make a comment

Checkmate.

[Ichingcarpenter]

22. captain kirk

[msongs]

23. only on DU is honoring one's committments seen as bad lol nt

[One of the 99]

24. There was no way for Shatner to make it back in time.

There were no flights at any of the nearby airports to LA after 9PM last night. The Red Cross ball is a big charity event that raises millions to help people. I can't believe that people are passing moral judgement on a man for helping a charity.

[yuiyoshida]

25. Well come on....

You know if he used a TRANSPORTER, he be there in seconds!!!

[One of the 99]

26. LOL!!!

[Segami]

31. BWHAHAHAHAHA.....

[hunter]

27. Something everyone must know: Let people handle death and grief in their own way.

There's nothing worse than people at a funeral who are either "faking it" or falling apart in ways they would never ever want anyone to witness.

However William Shatner responds is his business.

[ladjf]

28. That lame Mr. Shatner. nt

[Orrex]

29. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one."

If Nimoy could comment on it, I'm confident that he would say "Don't be silly. Go to the charity event."

[Stargazer09]

30. He made the right decision

Nimoy isn't going to care if Shatner is there or not.

If Shatner had gone to the funeral, everyone would have focused on him. How is he reacting? What did he decide to wear? Is he crying? Why isn't he crying? What did he say during the service? Etc. etc. etc.

Shatner was in a lose-lose situation, and I really wish the world would let him grieve privately.

[onenote]

32. I see a lot of people sitting in judgment who only know Nimoy and Shatner from the pages of

magazines or from tv and movie screens.

Maybe, and I can't say for certain but am willing to give Shatner the benefit of the doubt, he feels -- maybe even knows -- that Nimoy would rather Shatner fulfill his commitment to a charitable organization than cancel in order to go to Nimoy's funeral.

[Politicalboi]

34. Nimoy went to the hospital earlier in the week

I would think maybe both of them talked about this beforehand possibly, or Nimoy's kids called Shatner.

[LWolf]

37. actions...words....nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. If I could have, I would have skipped my husband's funeral.

It is grief/pain/horrendous suffering on display. I was uncomfortable the entire time, and I wanted to be left alone. Yet, I knew people need some sort of closure and even though my husband hated the idea of a funeral, we did it anyway.

Funerals are for the living and not the dead. They're dead. They don't care anymore.

[hunter]

39. Funerals among my kin are binary.

Hard partying, hard drinking, hard story-telling wakes, or quiet contemplation.

No questions asked, either way.

For the living.

[Fumesucker]

40. I don't want a funeral either, I want a wake, the party kind of wake..

Loud music, recreational substances, dancing for those who can do so without injuring themselves or others.

[lindysalsagal]

42. Honestly, Nimoy's family probably didn't want him there. It was a sacrifice he made

to Nimoy's family.

Besides, Shatner has made it clear he's not into the Trekkies, and had Shatner been there, the trekkies would have swarmed.

I'm going to see this totally differently that the OP:

He stayed away out of respect for the family. It was the decent thing to do, from a man who doesn't always care what's decent. This time, he did.

[Calista241]

49. Trekkies will swarm no matter what

This is Spock were talking about.

[freshwest]

43. They were quite a team on that show. But Death never takes a day off.

[B Calm]

46. I forgive him. Shatner best TV character was not in Star Trek but, Boston Legal!

[randome]

48. He's also 83 years old. Maybe not as eager to change plans and dash off at a moment's notice.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Archae]

50. I'm just grateful it looks like the Phelps brood didn't show up.

Shatner...meh.

It's the Westboro Baptist "Church" I didn't want there.

[NCTraveler]

51. 80 + years old and he is flying across the country for a charity event.

This has probably also made him really think about his own mortality. We often look at things like this and prop these people up with our own ideals and what we would like to think we would have done in their situation. Often, those thoughts are nice, but not possible in reality. If he is inclined, I am sure he will reach out to those he feels the need to help comfort. You go with your bad self Shat.

[Orsino]

53. Sounds like a worthy reason...

...not that it's anyone else's business.