Singing icon Patti LaBelle said she once wanted to slap a guest chef in 2008. During her recent appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” LaBelle recalled the time she was a guest on “The Tyra Banks Show” with actress and cupcake chef Lisa Lillien.
In the episode, which apparently is from 2008, LaBelle had an issue with Lillien after the baker told LaBelle that she couldn’t eat the paper on a cupcake. The women were doing a segment with Banks regarding cupcakes, and LaBelle picked one up.
The “On My Own” singer showed the crowd her good manners as she noted she was holding the cupcake by the paper on the bottom and said, “This has paper on it.” Lillien replied, “Yeah, you can’t eat the paper,” to which LaBelle replied, “Nope, but you can touch ’em with your hands.” As the baker continued talking, the crowd laughed as the “Stir It Up” singer looked at the audience and rolled her eyes while mumbling something under her breath.
After Banks asked what LaBelle was saying, Lillien said, “She’s causing trouble,” to which LaBelle replied, “What makes you think I think you can eat the paper, boo?”
Still not getting why LaBelle mentioned the paper, Lillien responded, “Because you can’t eat the paper. No paper, paper bad; cake good. You’re the one that asked me to eat the paper.”
LaBelle responded by asking the crowd, “What’s wrong with her?”
LaBelle, who has brought up the incident from time to time over the past 14 years, recalled the moment during her recent appearance on Hudson’s talk show. “The girl thought I was gonna eat the paper on the cupcake. The way I wanted to slap that heifer so hard,” said LaBelle. “She said, ‘Miss LaBelle, don’t eat the paper. I said, ‘What’s wrong with you, boo? I don’t eat paper.'”
Upon seeing the footage on social media, several fans left comments about the exchange.
One fan wrote, “The time a chef on The Tyra Banks Show disrespected Patti LaBelle and Ms. LaBelle checked her.” Another fan replied, “The disrespect. The way she was holding Ms Patti’s arm like she’s trying to explain it to a child.”
“Possibly no one understands the importance of keeping your hands clean during the Coronavirus more than Patti LaBelle,” wrote one.
During the show, the 78-year-old singer said that she helped Jennifer Hudson prepare for her role as Aretha Franklin in ‘Respect” and noted how close the two have become. Hudson told the audience that she was living her dream. “You’re such a blessing… I’ma try not to get emotional, but honey, I just want y’all to know, y’all are in my dreams right now,” said Hudson. “To be here, to have Patti LaBelle sitting here? This is what I dreamt about.”
LaBelle also reclled telling Hudson that she was doing a good job on her talk show, but that she didn’t like the rug at first.
“The only thing that really bothers me is the shag rug, ‘cuz you can’t see the shoes. And then the next day I looked at the show again, and I liked the rug.”
