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Oprahโs got jokes.
Oprah Winfrey took the stage at the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday and appeared to shade Patti LuPone for her drama with Audra McDonald.
As she presented the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, the category in which McDonald, 54, was nominated, Winfrey, 71, told the audience, โOur celebration of this astounding year in live theater turns to the women whose work sparked lively conversations among theater fans.โ
Winfrey then paused, shot a knowing look at the crowd as they laughed, and added, โLotta talking going on!โ
McDonald was in the audience for Winfreyโs comment. She lost the Leading Actress in a Musical award to โSunset Boulevardโ star Nicole Scherzinger.
LuPone, meanwhile, did not attend the Tonys. She was not nominated this year, but her โThe Roomateโ co-star Mia Farrow was nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.
Spencer Althouse, BuzzFeedโs editorial director, shared a clip of Winfreyโs speech on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, โOmg notย Oprah Winfreyย throwing shade at Patti LuPone while presenting at the Tony Awards lol.โ
Other fans pointed out that Winfreyโs line, โLotta talking going on,โ is from Beyoncรฉโs song โAmerican Requiem.โ
โand quoting ameriican requiem exactlyyyy,โ one fan tweeted.
โand the ending?! ohhhh AMERIICAN REQUIIEM your power,โ another fan said.
A third person wrote, โis that American Requiem iโm hearing?!!โ
Last month, LuPone, 76, sparked controversy for bashing fellow Broadway stars McDonald and Kecia Lewis in an interview withย The New Yorker.
The โAgatha All Alongโ actress said that McDonaldย was โnot a friendโ and called Lewis, 59, a โb-tchโ who โdoesnโt know what the fโk sheโs talking about.โ
โOh, my God,โ LuPone said of the โHellโs Kitchenโ actress. โHereโs the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Letโs find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesnโt know what the fโk sheโs talking about. Sheโs done seven. Iโve done thirty-one. Donโt call yourself a vet, b-tch.โ
Following LuPoneโs comments, more than 500 Broadway artistsย signed an open letterย slamming the actress.
โThis language is not only degrading and misogynistic โ it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect,โ the letter read. โIt 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.โ
LuPone apologized for her comments in an Instagram statement on May 31, calling her words โdemeaning and disrespectful.โ
โI 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,โ she stated. โI hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.โ
LuPone added, โI wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in theย open letterย 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.โ
McDonald, for her part, was asked about LuPoneโs comments in an interview with Gayle King on โCBS Morningsโ before LuPone issued her apology.
โIf thereโs a rift between us, I donโt know what it is,โ said McDonald.
โThatโs something youโd have to ask Patti about,โ the โGypsyโ star continued. โYou know, I havenโt seen her in about 11 years just because weโve been busy just with life. So I donโt know what rift sheโs talking about, but youโd have to ask her.โ