Oprah to Give 2020 Commencement Speech on Facebook, With Cameos From Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X

You get a graduation! And you get a graduation!

Oprah Winfrey
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You get a graduation! You get a graduation! And you get a graduation! Facebook announced on Tuesday morning that Oprah Winfrey will be headlining its #Graduation2020 event next month to give college and high school seniors a proper sendoff despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The digital event, set for May 15, will broadcast Winfrey’s commencement speech on Facebook Watch. And a bevy of other celebrities will offer “words of wisdom,” as Facebook put it, including Lil Nas X, Jennifer Garner, Simone Biles and Awkwafina. Miley Cyrus is also slated to give a performance of her single “The Climb.” Individual segments of #Graduation2020 will be featured on Instagram’s default account and on the social media accounts of the celebs contributing to the event.

#Graduation2020 is being produced by B17 Entertainment, with Rhett Bachner and Brien Meagher serving as executive producers. Jane Mun will serve as both executive produce and showrunner for the event.

Instagram, starting on May 11, will include several smaller features leading up to the digital graduation. This will include highlighting “iconic senior experiences,” according to Facebook, on the Instagram default account, as well as new in-app AR effects and graduation-themed stickers for users to add to their Stories.

The announcement comes as millions of Americans are staying home due to COVID-19 pandemic — leading countless high schools and universities to axe their in-person graduation events for the classes of 2020.

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