Rita Ora hasn't shown much interest in "Grateful," the Oscar-nominated song from "Beyond the Lights" that scored song-writer Diane Warren a seventh career nod, but that didn't stop her from performing at Sunday's Oscars. Ora took the stage to sing "Grateful," this after barely acknowledging its existence in the weeks following this year's Oscar nominations.
"I have to be really honest, I don't want to be a jerk or anything, but had I known about this lack of support, there are other artists I'm working with that -- if it had been up to me -- I would have gone with," Warren told HuffPost Entertainment in a frank interview this month. "She sang it great! But, come on. How on Earth are you not wanting to [promote it] ... I don't get it. Everybody around me, we're all shocked. How can ... just ... you know?"
Warren said both she and "Beyond the Lights" director Gina Prince-Bythewood tried to contact Ora to see if she would film a video for "Grateful," but their texts were not returned.
Ora never made specific comment on Warren's claims, but did provide this statement to Yahoo! Movies:
I'm so thankful to be have been able to participate in a piece of Diane Warren's lyrical genius. I am incredibly 'grateful' that I will have the opportunity to perform at the Oscars thanks to her work, and I'm so glad that I'll be able to share it with a wider audience on February 22."