Patti LuPone Skips Tony Awards Amid Audra McDonald Controversy — Watch Oprah Winfrey Joke About It On-Air

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, following the extremely public backlash to controversial remarks she made about fellow Broadway stars Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald in a recent New Yorker profile.

LuPone ultimately did not attend the ceremony, and while no one directly mentioned her during the broadcast, Oprah Winfrey made a not-so-subtle reference to the whole situation while presenting the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, a category in which McDonald was nominated.

"Our celebration of this astounding year in live theater turns to the women whose work sparked lively conversations among theater fans," Winfrey began, shooting the audience a knowing look, which drew some big laughs. "Lotta talking going on!" she added.

If this is all news to you, here's a quick breakdown: In the New Yorker interview, LuPone was asked about an incident last fall when she was acting in The Roommate at the Shubert Theatre, which shared a wall with the Booth Theatre, home to the musical Hell's Kitchen. LuPone complained to the head of the Shubert Organization that Hell's Kitchen was too loud, and she ultimately sent flowers to the show's cast and crew when they agreed to turn down the music. Lewis, who stars in Hell's Kitchen, took to social media to call out LuPone's "racially microaggressive" behavior, which she deemed "bullying."

Lewis' comments were liked on social media by McDonald, who is currently headlining Broadway's revival of Gypsy in the same role LuPone played more than 15 years ago. Not only did LuPone flippantly refer to Lewis as a "bitch" in the interview, but when asked about McDonald liking Lewis' comments, LuPone replied, "She's not a friend." When asked for her thoughts on McDonald's production of Gypsy, LuPone reportedly stared back at the interviewer for 15 seconds before looking out the window and saying, "What a beautiful day."

Members of the Broadway community immediately expressed explicit outrage over LuPone's interview, with hundreds signing an open letter on May 30, condemning her comments about Lewis and McDonald — even requesting that she be disinvited from the Tonys as punishment.

LuPone posted an apology to Instagram on May 31, saying that she was "deeply sorry" for the comments she said in the interview, "particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful." She expressed regret over her "flippant and emotional responses," adding that she hoped to "speak to Audra and Kecia personally" to offer her "sincere apologies."

During a subsequent appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, McDonald was asked by Gayle King about her thoughts on LuPone's comments. "If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is," McDonald said. "That's something that you'd have to ask Patti about."

LuPone was not nominated for any Tony Awards this year, but Mia Farrow, her co-star in The Roommate, was nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.

Hit PLAY on the video above to watch Winfrey's shady nod to the drama, then drop a comment with your thoughts below.