Oprah Winfrey knows Beyoncé is forever that girl.
And that’s why the former talk show host had a true fangirl moment while recalling the time she received a special gift from the Grammy winner after attending her Renaissance tour in 2023.
“I went to the Beyoncé Renaissance concert,” Winfrey said during an appearance on the the Are You Okay? web show shared July 27. “I was so blown away. I wrote her a fan letter.”
“She obviously liked the fan letter because she then sent me one of the hats from Renaissance,” she added of the tour’s signature wide-brimmed chrome hats before emphasizing, “Beyoncé sent me a hat!”
Winfrey attended the Renaissance tour in October 2023 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. And even before the 72-year-old was gifted a memento from the event, she was crazy in love with Queen Bey’s performance.
“I have never in my life experienced something as transcendent as @beyonce’s Renaissance Tour,” she captioned an Instagram post at the time featuring a video of herself dancing alongside Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles and BFF Gayle King at the show. “That kind of talent, synergy, expression, and anointing is something that comes straight from a Source that creates the planets.”
“The dancers, the production, the musicians, and the team in front and behind the scenes,” she added, “all perfectly align to create a renaissance in today’s world. You must see it.”
But that wouldn’t be news to Beyoncé. After all, the “CUFF IT” hitmaker knew she’d created something special even before Renaissance—which is heavily influenced by ballroom culture—hit the top of the charts.
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Beyoncé wrote on Instagram in June 2022. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment.”
“A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration,” she added. “I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
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