NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey said she successfully “begged” her talk show audience not to share photos of Whitney Houston when the late singer “fell off of the stage,” amid a drug relapse.

The Emmy-winning “Queen of All Media,” 72, recalled the incident Tuesday while at Cannes Lions, Variety reports.

“We did the whole, ‘Hey girl, how you doing?’ greeting thing and then I stopped the cameras and I went behind stage and I said, ‘So tell me, what do you want to happen here? And I’m gonna tell you what I want to happen here,'” recalled Winfrey, then host of her eponymous talk show. “And that was one of the most powerful interviews.”

Though the Grammy winner “was clean” that day, the same could not be said for what Winfrey believed was Houston’s last appearance on “The Oprah Show” — which would have been filmed in 2009.

“She had gone back on drugs. … And she fell off of the stage,” said Winfrey, who then “begged” the crowd to keep the moment mum, despite having their own photos of it.

“I knew that if that story got out … she would be destroyed by that,” said Winfrey. “They did not [publish the photos]. That would not happen today, I can tell you that.”

The New Jersey-born and bred R&B superstar died in February 2012 due to an accidental drowning caused by the “effects” of heart disease and cocaine use. She was 48.

Her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, died in January 2015 in a similar manner, with the 22-year-old’s own tragic passing attributed to a combination of drowning and drug intoxication.

Houston’s family has denied the claims made by Winfrey.

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NEW YORK — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift just want their guests to be present at their wedding, no gifts necessary.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers tight end and friend of the power couple, shared the nearly newlyweds have a strict rule for those invited to their upcoming nuptials.

“They said absolutely no gifts,” Kittle told Extra in an interview on Tuesday. “But I was thinking Travis, for some reason, likes old coins, so I might get him an old coin.”

And while he did not provide their specific date, Kittle said the wedding ceremony was set to take place shortly after the annual Tight End University in Nashville, Tenn., which he founded with Kelce and Greg Olsen. Swift joined Kelce at the annual event — established to build community among players ahead of the regular NFL season — for the second year in a row this week. She also took to the stage during the Tight Ends & Friends Concert, where she performed her song, “Love Story” for elated fans.

“We have a special request by a very special tight end, who wanted to hear a particular song — and that tight end is named George Kittle,” she said. “Let’s go!”

It marked her second surprise performance at the event. Last year, she sang a rendition of “Shake It Off,” one her fiancé’s favorite jams.

The rumor mill has been churning as of late, with a specific focus on figuring out when and where the Grammy winner will say “I do” to her Super Bowl winner. Many have speculated that the ceremony will happen at Madison Square Garden in New York over Fourth of July weekend, but the couple have not confirmed their venue.

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Keke Palmer addressed, but did not shut down, speculation that she’s dating “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans.

Emmy winner Palmer, 32, told podcaster Jay Shetty at Cannes Lions Tuesday that she and 40-year-old Evans are “hangin’ out,” People reports.

Shetty had asked whether the “I Love Boosters” star was “serious” about Evans, after gossip site Deuxmoi shared a snap earlier this month of the pair at a candlelit dinner in Brooklyn.

“First of all, I love Sean Evans — I love Sean, hey Sean. That’s my guy,” said Palmer. “You never know what can arise from there. We just take it day by day. One wing at a time so to speak.”

The wing joke was a nod to Evans’ hit web series, “Hot Ones,” which features him interviewing stars — including Palmer, first in 2017 and again in 2021 — as they brave increasingly spicy chicken wings.

Palmer returned for a third “Hot Ones” episode in 2025, to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary.

“I saw an interview where you said, like, I was your favorite guest and all this really sweet stuff,” she said at the end. “I know we’ve just had some wings but, I just thought that, maybe we could just have a quick smooch, to see if there’s a spark.”

A giddy Evans laughed as he agreed, “Let’s do it.”

“The spark was sparking,” Palmer said right after pecking his lips.

Evans also sang Palmer’s praises last month during an episode of her podcast, “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” on which he dubbed her “obviously very charismatic” as well as “smart” and “beautiful.”

Prior to her budding relationship with Evans, Palmer welcomed son Leo in early 2023 with Darius Jackson.

The “Nope” star and fitness instructor split later that year — with each party filing restraining orders against the other, though they eventually settled amicably.

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By Tribune News Service