Did Oprah Winfrey diss Patti Lupone at the 2025 Tony Awards? That’s certainly what fans think.
While presenting the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical June 8, the former talk show host seemingly alluded to Patti’s recent comments about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald, the latter of which was nominated in the category Oprah was presenting for her performance in Gypsy.
“This astounding year in live theater turns to the women whose work sparked lively conversations among theater fans,” she proclaimed as the audience at Radio City Music Hall started to murmur before she paused to knowingly look around the crowd with pursed lips. “Lotta talking going on!”
Viewers were quick to interpret the 71-year-old’s comments as being aimed at Patti, with one user posting the clip saying, “omg not Oprah Winfrey throwing shade at Patti LuPone while presenting at the Tony Awards lol.”
Another person wrote, “oprah giving patti shade i’m crying,” while a third viewer commented, “I’ve never seen someone say f–k you quite as spectacularly as Oprah just did to Patti LuPone.”
