The 2025 Tony Awards ceremony, which took place on June 8, was not just about honoring the best of Broadway. It also turned into a setting for a quiet but much-awaited clash. The focus, however, was not only on the nominees and winners but also on a growing controversy involving longtime actress Patti LuPone and her very public dispute with fellow Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis.
According to the NY Post, this building tension reached a peak in a memorable moment when Oprah Winfrey, while presenting an award, seemed to gently criticize LuPone, adding an unexpected twist to the already glamorous event. The drama started in May 2025 when LuPone strongly attacked McDonald and Lewis in an interview with The New Yorker. She called McDonald “not a friend” and directed especially harsh words at Lewis, using offensive and disrespectful language, per Page Six.
The interview, which suggested long held bitterness and personal conflicts within the Broadway world, was met with quick and widespread anger. Lupone isn’t a stranger to controversial statements. LuPone’s remarks were viewed not only as personally hurtful but also as a sign of bigger issues like misogyny and racial bias in the industry.
Oprah gets on LuPone over past remarks
The reaction was fast and strong. More than 500 Broadway professionals signed an open letter criticizing LuPone’s behavior, pointing out the insulting and disrespectful nature of her comments and calling attention to the deeper problems in the Broadway community that let such behavior continue. The letter stressed the importance of building a respectful and welcoming environment for all performers, no matter their experience or status.
It directly addressed how deeply hurtful LuPone’s words were and emphasized the need for responsibility and change in the industry. Facing heavy criticism, LuPone posted a public apology on Instagram, admitting how serious her words were and saying she regretted her actions. She said her comments were “demeaning and disrespectful” and that she wanted to personally apologize to both McDonald and Lewis.
While many saw her apology as a necessary step, it did not completely undo the harm caused by her earlier statements. Audra McDonald, for her part, spoke about the controversy in an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings. She said she was surprised by LuPone’s claims of a disagreement, explaining that she had not seen LuPone in more than ten years and was not aware of any major problems between them.
Against this backdrop, Oprah Winfrey stepped onto the Tony Awards stage to present the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. While introducing the nominees, a category that included McDonald, Winfrey made a pointed remark about their work, saying it had “sparked lively conversations among theater fans.” She then paused, giving a meaningful look to the audience, which burst into laughter, before adding, “Lotta talking going on!”
The comment, which seemed to lightly reflect the ongoing controversy around LuPone’s interview, was quickly seen by many as a clear reference to the situation. Adding to the speculation was the fact that Winfrey’s phrase, “Lotta talking going on,” was a direct line from Beyoncé’s song “American Requiem.” This intentional seeming reference made it even more likely that Winfrey’s words were a quiet but effective criticism of LuPone’s behavior.
