Northern Ont. woman reflects on meeting Harry Styles and her magical night at Grammy Awards
A northern Ontario woman had the rare opportunity to meet her favourite musician at the Grammys, thanks to social media platform, TikTok.
Reina Lafantaisie, 78, of Sudbury attended the Grammys as Harry Styles’ super-fan and was shocked when she was invited on stage and asked to read the winner of ‘Album of the Year.’
Lafantaisie’s granddaughter, Renee Grenon, said it all began during a family get-together during the holidays.
Grenon said the family began discussing their favourite artists and her grandmother spoke at length about Harry Styles.
“She went on a 10-minute speech to the entire room about how Harry Styles is the ultimate entertainer, he’s got it all, he’s humble, he’s a kind person and she was just speaking so passionately,” she laughed.
Grenon said she couldn’t help but secretly record the conversation and put the edited the 10-minute clip TikTok.
The next morning, the video had gone viral.
Lafantaisie said she was upset at first that her granddaughter had posted the clip to social media, but quickly changed her mind.
A few weeks later, a Grammys producer invited Lafantaisie to the show as Harry Styles’ Superfan, while Grenon was allowed to accompany her as a guest -- but wasn’t allowed to attend the show.
They said they weren’t given a lot of information about what was going to happen.
When it came down to the moment for ‘Album of the Year,’ Reina Lafantaisie said she had no idea she was going to be asked to read the winning name. (Photo courtesy of Chris Pezzello)
“We were told to tell our families to watch the Grammys, but that was it,” said Grenon.
Lafantaisie didn’t expect to meet Styles at all, let alone three times.
She had brought a card with her to give to Styles and she gave it to a producer who she’d been in touch with. She said Styles had just accepted his first award when he came walking in her direction.
“He saw me and came up to me and did a double take and said, ‘it’s you!’” she said.
The second time she saw him was when she was waiting in line to go the bathroom.
“He saw me again and came up to me and touched my face and said ‘thank you so much for the beautiful card,’” Lafantaisie said.
“How much can one woman take?!”
When it came down to the moment for ‘Album of the Year,’ Lafantaisie said she had no idea she was going to be asked to read the winning name.
“I certainly didn’t know I was going to give the award to Harry Styles,” Lafantaisie laughed.
She said she didn’t bring her glasses up on stage out of shock, and had trouble reading the name.
“I couldn’t see that well and I’m looking and there’s big enough letters and I couldn’t really see it at all,” she said.
“But then I got the focus enough and I saw it said ‘Harry’, and then I was OK and I shouted it out as hard as I could.”
Grenon, who was watching from her hotel room next door, said she was shocked to see her grandmother up on stage.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
When it came down to the moment for ‘Album of the Year,’ Reina Lafantaisie said she had no idea she was going to be asked to read the winning name -- Harry Styles. (Supplied)
“I was like, ‘what is happening right now?’”
After Lafantaisie called his name, Styles came up on stage to accept the award, giving her a big hug.
“I never expected he’d run up to me and give me a hug like that,” she said.
“And when he did that, I don’t know how my knees didn’t buckle.”
Lafantaisie said there are a number of reasons why she likes the musician so much. She said she’s seen Elvis Presley twice, and Styles’ magnetism and star power remind her of him.
He’s also what she expected.
“He’s so caring and a warm human being. He is such a good human being.”
At her granddaughter’s place in Toronto before heading home to Sudbury, Lafantaisie said it’s a moment she won’t soon forget.
“I’ll remember that until the day I die,” she said.
“You’re talking to a very happy, very fulfilled grandmother.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.