Oprah Winfrey ... ACTUALLY SPOKE TO US LAST NIGHT!!!!!
It was AWESOME ... her Royal O-ness was leaving Drai's at The W Hotel in L.A. ... surrounded by paps ... when our guy Kris took charge and asked about a controversial topic -- her interview with Whitney Houston's daughter.
Oprah came under fire for letting the Houston family off the hook ... especially when Whitney's sister-in-law suggested the singer was murdered.
But O told us, "I think it went really well ... I think people really responded and I think the whole country now got to see how [Bobbi Kristina] feels and what shes going through."
Oprah says she was SHOCKED people criticized the interview ... but explains why she won't let it bother her.
Also ... we asked Oprah about the best way to dump a significant other ... and she had a GREAT answer.
All hail O.