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,

In any other year, whether or not Patti LuPone merely attended the Tony Awards wouldn’t be newsworthy - but this isn’t just any other year for her. Speculation swirled in recent weeks over whether LuPone would show her face at Sunday’s annual salute to Broadway,

Enter Oprah. Oprah Winfrey played a big role at the 78th Tonys, assisting powerhouse host Cynthia Erivo with several bits both backstage and in the audience. Winfrey’s nod to the LuPone business came when she was onstage at the very end of the night to present the Tony for best leading actress in a musical.