Oprah Winfrey Faces Criticism for Oscar Tribute Omitting Michael Jackson

Oprah Winfrey is under fire online following her touching tribute to music legend Quincy Jones at the Oscars, where she notably left out any mention of Michael Jackson.

During the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night, Queen Latifah paid tribute to Jones with a performance of "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz, a film for which Jones received an Oscar nomination. Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg, both co-stars in The Color Purple, introduced Latifah's performance, highlighting Jones' impact on the world of film and music.

While Winfrey praised Jones for his musical contributions and collaborations with icons like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, as well as his iconic works like "We Are the World," many viewers noticed the absence of any mention of Michael Jackson.

Critics took to social media to call out Winfrey for excluding Jackson from the tribute, especially considering Jackson's significant collaborations with Jones on albums like Thriller, Off the Wall, and Bad. The partnership between Jackson and Jones not only defined the sound of 1980s pop music but also solidified Jackson's title as the "King of Pop."

Despite Winfrey's past interview with Jackson in 1993 and her hosting of the After Neverland special in 2019, where she spoke with Jackson accusers, the omission of Jackson from the Oscar tribute raised eyebrows among fans and critics alike.