Maria Shriver, Madonna, Michael Jordan and More Turn Out for 'Oprah Winfrey' Taping

By Kiki Von Glinow Posted May 18th 2011 10:40AM

The stars turned out in droves for Oprah Winfrey's penultimate episode taping -- from Maria Shriver to Tom Hanks to Madonna, the queen of talk sure flexed her friends in high places muscle as each guest took the stage to celebrate the Winfrey dynasty, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Tom Hanks hosted the first hour of the four hour taping, playing up the fact that Winfrey is not a fan of letting her producers take the reigns.

"Now Oprah, I know you don't like surprises," Hanks said. "Let me see if I can put you at ease. There was an English playwright who said there's no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved, and that is what tonight is all about."

There was definitely a lot of love at Chicago's United Center where more than 20,000 lucky audience members were treated to one celebrity appearance after another. One audience member even proposed to his girlfriend on-stage before the taping began.

Although he kept his feet firmly planted on the ground this time, Tom Cruise was Winfrey's first guest. The actor has been on the show a whopping 12 times and one video flashback got Winfrey thinking about just how much time has gone by: "You looked like you were 10 when you were on my show in 1988. And what's up with my hair?"

From one queen to another, Madonna was next up to show her appreciation for Winfrey.

"It's not secret that millions of people are inspired by Oprah," she said of the woman she calls her only living role model. "I am one of them. She's a self-made woman who's been at the top of her game for over 25 years and she is still kicking a--."

Not only has Winfrey proven her people prowess over her 25 year reign, but she has also been a major voice of the green movement. Diane Sawyer, dressed as a lit-up tree, announced that 25,000 oak trees would be planted in her friend, Winfrey's honor. Forget cars, Oprah pointed into the audience shouting, "I just gave everybody a tree! You get a tree and you get a tree and you get a tree. Everybody gets a tree!."

Winfrey and her audience were also treated to musical performances by Beyonce, Rascal Flatts, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder (who wrote and performed a song just for Winfrey) and a second hour of taping hosted by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

But the surprise guests were only getting started as Jerry Seinfeld joked, "We are trying to figure out how much one person can take. We are going to keep going until you say we can't take it anymore!"

Maria Shriver, Michael Jordan, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Angelou, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin and even Winfrey's behind-the-scenes, longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham, took the stage to honor the woman of the hour: "Honey, you are so special, and I am so happy ... I'm so proud of you," Graham said.

Although she's usually one to keep her composure, Winfrey finally broke down -- most likely regretting not opting for waterproof mascara. As black streams of tears ran down her cheeks she said, "I feel the love! And I thank you for it. Thank you for being a part of this great night, this celebration for what you have done for the Oprah Winfrey show ... your being here tonight ... honors me in the deepest way possible."

Just as Winfrey began to gather her composure, Will Smith announced that there was one last surprise -- Usher took the stage to sing a symphony-backed 'O.M.G.' 'Oh Happy Day' mashup before bursting confetti canons blanketed the entire arena.

The live taping will air as a two-part series on May 23 and May 24 before her finale show on May 25.

Oprah's Star-Studded Send-Off

Tags: oprah winfrey

Comments

(13)

Wednesday 18 May

By Enough Already

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Ugh! These farewell tours go on forever. Just say goodbye and move on to the next phase instead of drawing it out for the sake of ratings and viewers. We tuned out a long time ago.

By LEB

I agree!

By Selina D. Jones

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This is a big deal! Oprah has been a pioneer and an inspiration to so many lives and I will forever give honor where honor is due. From this female professional who is dedicated to building up humans in order for them to eat for a life-time, and just happens to be black, I say THANK YOU OPRAH!!! You might have tuned out, but many of us are gracious for this time to say, so long.

By Liz Gordon

"letting her producers take the reigns"...

Don't you mean "take the REINS"? C'mon, Internet journalism. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to maintain higher writing standards.

Thursday 19 May

By 80s gal in the 80s....

Amen Liz, but this site is always full of mistakes. Popeater....do you have the spellcheck turned off?????

By Sam

Those stars were paid dearly to show up. Most hollywood stars all hate her.

By Bonbon

God, was the hall big enough the fit all those egos in one room!

Look at Beyonce next to Madonna and look at Halle Berry, Halle is darker than Beyonce and Halle is half white! Beyonce is bleaching like MJ!

By deb

there are all different shades/tones of black skin!

By Jerry

Nah, she's just painting light. If you think that either Beyonce or Halle are showing natural skin tone, think again. Both of them have cosmetic contracts (Beyonce with L'Oreal, Halle with Revlon), so they're wearing out some product placement like you wouldn't believe.

Next you'll be telling us that that's Beyonce's real hair...

Dynasty? Oprah doesn't have any children or otherwise designated successors.

Empire, maybe, but not dynasty.

By Catherine

I was over O a long time ago... just skipping through news here and saw this.....I dislike media forces all the hype.... if they like you they make you big if they don't they spend their words making you look horrible. I think its odd to have so much tribute going on when most of those were on the show promoting self.

By Esther

I thought Beyonce was a black girl? She should keep her natural skin tone, it's nice and fits her much better. It looks like she is wearing makeup for an albino!

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