Oprah’s received jokes.
Oprah Winfrey took the stage on the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday and appeared to shade Patti LuPone for her drama with Audra McDonald.
As she offered the award for Finest Efficiency by a Main Actress in a Musical, the class through which McDonald, 54, was nominated, Winfrey, 71, informed the viewers, “Our celebration of this astounding year in live theater turns to the women whose work sparked lively conversations among theater fans.”
Winfrey then paused, shot a realizing take a look at the gang as they laughed, and added, “Lotta talking going on!”
McDonald was within the viewers for Winfrey’s remark. She misplaced the Main Actress in a Musical award to “Sunset Boulevard” star Nicole Scherzinger.
LuPone, in the meantime, didn’t attend the Tonys. She was not nominated this yr, however her “The Roomate” co-star Mia Farrow was nominated for Finest Efficiency by a Main Actress in a Play.
Spencer Althouse, BuzzFeed’s editorial director, shared a clip of Winfrey’s speech on X (previously Twitter) and wrote, “Omg not Oprah Winfrey throwing shade at Patti LuPone while presenting at the Tony Awards lol.”
Different followers identified that Winfrey’s line, “Lotta talking going on,” is from Beyoncé’s tune “American Requiem.”
“and quoting ameriican requiem exactlyyyy,” one fan tweeted.
“and the ending?! ohhhh AMERIICAN REQUIIEM your power,” one other fan mentioned.
A 3rd individual wrote, “is that American Requiem i’m hearing?!!”
Final month, LuPone, 76, sparked controversy for bashing fellow Broadway stars McDonald and Kecia Lewis in an interview with The New Yorker.
The “Agatha All Along” actress mentioned that McDonald was “not a friend” and known as Lewis, 59, a “b-tch” who “doesn’t know what the f–k she’s talking about.”
“Oh, my God,” LuPone mentioned of the “Hell’s Kitchen” actress. “Here’s the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn’t know what the f–k she’s talking about. She’s done seven. I’ve done thirty-one. Don’t call yourself a vet, b-tch.”
Following LuPone’s feedback, greater than 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter slamming the actress.
“This language is not only degrading and misogynistic – it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect,” the letter learn. “It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment. It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence.”
LuPone apologized for her feedback in an Instagram assertion on Could 31, calling her phrases “demeaning and disrespectful.”
“I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community,” she said. “I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.”
LuPone added, “I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday. I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better.”
McDonald, for her half, was requested about LuPone’s feedback in an interview with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings” earlier than LuPone issued her apology.
“If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is,” mentioned McDonald.
“That’s something you’d have to ask Patti about,” the “Gypsy” star continued. “You know, I haven’t seen her in about 11 years just because we’ve been busy just with life. So I don’t know what rift she’s talking about, but you’d have to ask her.”
