Oprah Winfrey is facing harsh criticism for omitting the King of Pop. Oprah and her The Color Purple co-star, Whoopi Goldberg, appeared on stage together on Sunday night at The Oscars. During their appearance,

Of Jones, who died in November at the age of 91, Winfrey said: “One’s first thought is musical genius and for good reason.” She cited Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles as artists with whom Jones worked “and the driving force behind ‘We Are The World.’ … But the man, our beloved Q, had an equally important impact on film.”

Goldberg, who introduced Queen Latifah's moving musical tribute to Jones, previously said she had "no better friend" than the legendary musician, who died in 2024.