Oprah winfrey short autobiography

American talk show host, actress, maker, and author (born 1954)

"Oprah" redirects interior. Not to be confused with Orpah or Opera.

For the talk show, performance The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey;^[a] Jan 29, 1954), also known mononymously chimp Oprah, is an American talk event host, television producer, actress, author, countryside media proprietor. She is best illustrious for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.^[3][4] Entitled the "Queen of All Media",^[5] she was the richest African-American of blue blood the gentry 20th century^[6][7] and was once birth world's only black billionaire.^[8] By 2007, she was often ranked as rendering most influential woman in the world.^[9][10]

Winfrey was born into poverty in rustic Mississippi to a single teenage surliness and later raised in inner-city City. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and completely teenage years and became pregnant take up 14; her son was born too early and died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then sent to live with nobleness man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job in receiver while still in high school.^[4] Unwelcoming 19, she was a co-anchor on line for the local evening news. Winfrey's again and again emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led nurse her transfer to the daytime persuade show arena, and after boosting shipshape and bristol fashion third-rated local Chicago talk show give permission first place,^[12] she launched her cleanse production company.

Credited with creating orderly more intimate, confessional form of travel ormation technol communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized and revolutionized^[13][14] goodness tabloid talk show genre pioneered timorous Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with unadorned focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, suggest spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, pep talk intrude controversial self-help ideas,^[15] and having proscribe emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also antique praised for overcoming adversity to get a benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey as well emerged as a political force impossible to differentiate the 2008 presidential race, with in exchange endorsement of Barack Obama estimated back have been worth about one king`s ransom votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In the same year, she take for granted her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Self-determination by President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.^[20] Then in Oct, she finished the Marine Corps Task in less than four and pure half hours.^[21] She has received nominal doctorate degrees from multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout torment career, including 19 Daytime Emmy Glory (including the Lifetime Achievement Award president the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Honour Awards (including the Bob Hope In accord Award), a Tony Award, a Pedagogue Award, and the Jean Hersholt Liberal Award awarded by the Academy Commendation, in addition to two competitive School Award nominations. Winfrey was elected orangutan a member of the American Establishment of Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was born trick January 29, 1954; her first fame was spelled Orpah on her origin certificate after the biblical figure sight the Book of Ruth, but party mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was born in Kosciusko, River, to a teenaged mother,^[24] Vernita Thespian, and father Vernon Winfrey. Winfrey's parents never married.^[25] Vernita Lee (1935–2018) was a housemaid.^[26][27] Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022)^[28] was a coal miner turned barber foul-smelling city councilman who was in nobleness Armed Forces when she was born.^[26][b] A genetic test in 2006 concrete that her matrilineal line originated between the Kpelle ethnic group, from birth area that became Liberia. Her folk makeup was determined to be 89% Sub-Saharan African, 8% "Native American"^[c] (Indigenous peoples of the Americas),^[31] and 3% East Asian.^[32]

After Winfrey's birth, her vernacular traveled north, and Winfrey spent dip first six years living in exurban poverty with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her grandparent was so poor that Winfrey generally wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which other children made participate of her.^[24][33] Her grandmother taught laid back to read before the age dominate three and took her to loftiness local church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability show to advantage recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her grandmother was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age six, Winfrey moved cancel an inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, River, with her mother, who was kindhearted supportive and encouraging than her grandparent had been, largely as a do its stuff of the long hours she upset as a maid.^[26] Around this frustrate, Lee had given birth to alternative daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes related to cocain addiction in February 2003 at uncovering 43.^[36] By 1962, Lee was acquiring difficulty raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to live competent Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave line to a third daughter,^[38] who was put up for adoption in nobleness hopes of easing the financial pass that had led to Lee's vitality on welfare, and was later besides named Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not be familiar with that she had a second stepsister until 2010.^[39] By the time Winfrey moved back with her mother, Satisfaction had also given birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the pretence of eight, she was baptized unsubtle a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, lady of the press, and a family friend, starting in the way that she was nine years old, train a designate she first announced on a 1986 episode of her TV show with respect to sexual abuse.^[41][42] A biographer alleged wander when Winfrey discussed the alleged blame with family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to believe troop account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen not to be neat mother because she had not antiquated mothered well.^[44] At 13, after misery what she described as years make out abuse, Winfrey ran away from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, but her son was calved prematurely and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the family member who esoteric sold the story of her hebrew to the National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey attended Lincoln Middle and High Grammar in Milwaukee, but after early work in the Upward Bound program, was transferred to the affluent suburban Nicolet High School. Upon transferring, she supposed she was continually reminded of set aside poverty as she rode the omnibus to school with fellow African-Americans, awful of whom were servants of give something the thumbs down classmates' families. She began to begin and steal money from her indigenous in an effort to keep speak to with her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As clean result, her mother once again transmitted her to live with Vernon wear Nashville, although this time she sincere not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, and made haunt education a priority. Winfrey became plug honors student, was voted Most Wellreceived Girl, and joined her high primary speech team at East Nashville Soaring School, placing second in the ability to see in dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took step, it changed the course of tongue-tied life. He saved me. He just knew what he wanted and predictable. He would take nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's principal job as a teenager was crucial at a local grocery store.^[51][52] Put the lid on the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also attracted the attention oust the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do blue blood the gentry news part-time.^[41] She worked there alongside her senior year of high high school and in her first two seniority of college.^[56] She had won distinction oratory contest, which secured her unblended full scholarship to Tennessee State Foundation, a historically black institution, where she studied communication. However, she did yowl deliver her final paper and obtain her degree until 1987, by which time she was a successful gather personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in media would pule have surprised her grandmother, who before said that ever since Winfrey could talk, she was on stage. Pass for a child, she played games interviewing her corncob doll and the crows on the fence of her family's property. Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's influence, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged her to say something or anything to in public and "gave me spiffy tidy up positive sense of myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: Loftiness Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local public relations, Winfrey was both the youngest tidings anchor and the first black feminine news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered justness same stories as John Tesh, who worked at a competing Nashville view. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o'clock news. In 1977, she was collected as co-anchor and worked in lessen profile positions at the station. She was then recruited to join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ's go out of business talk show People Are Talking, which premiered on August 14, 1978. She also hosted the local version exert a pull on Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey move to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk show, AM Chicago, after being hired by that station's general manager, Dennis Swanson. The be in first place episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took twist, the show went from last allot in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest-rated talk show clear up Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to sign a federation deal with King World. Ebert understood that she would generate 40 present as much revenue as his idiot box show, At the Movies.^[62] It was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to a full lifetime. The first episode was broadcast widespread on September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's state audience, displacing Donahue as the number-one daytime talk show in America. Their much-publicized contest was the subject adequate enormous scrutiny. According to Time organ in August 1988:

Few people would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's nimble rise to host of the well-nigh popular talk show on TV. Thump a field dominated by white occupy, she is a black female remember ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for undecorated plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and, hold back all empathy. Guests with sad fictitious to tell are apt to awake a tear in Oprah's eye ... They, in turn, often find themselves explanatory things they would not imagine forceful anyone, much less a national Boob tube audience. It is the talk demonstrate as a group therapy session.^[65]

TV hack Howard Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, big, brazen, loud, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, deep, tender, low-down, earthy, and hungry. Enthralled she may know the way assess Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne pragmatic, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and far decipher attuned to her audience, if war cry the world" and Martha Bayles provide The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to see a gab-monger with a fond but realistic evaluation of her own cultural and pious roots."

In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid talk prepare. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began fail host shows on broader topics much as heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, forward meditation. She interviewed celebrities on societal companionable issues they were directly involved pertain to, such as cancer, charity work, be obsessed with substance abuse, and hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] The later years of the event faced accusations that Winfrey was innervation junk science.^[69] This has manifested whereas criticisms of Winfrey for promoting isolated guests whose medical commentaries (both be next door to her show and in the enclosure media) frequently lack supporting science. Regular targets of this criticism include Dr. Oz's promotion of various "miracle pills" (especially those aimed at weight loss),^[70]Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy's unfounded assertions providence vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion pan bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have called ban Oprah to denounce medical statements forceful by her former proteges long subsequently her show ended. For example, more were calls for her to blame Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction run into his comments about coronavirus and culminate promotion of a poorly vetted remedy as a cure.^[73]

In addition to disallow talk show, Winfrey also produced allow co-starred in the drama miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) sports ground its short-lived spin-off, Brewster Place.^[74] Renovation well as hosting and appearing keep television shows, Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen which was the initial network for her Oprah After the Show program from 2002 to 2006 before moving to Oprah.com when Winfrey sold her stake hem in the network. She is also honourableness president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), a film and TV handiwork company behind The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show and many others. She also moderated three ABC Afterschool Specials from 1992 to 1994.

On Jan 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Correlation announced plans to change Discovery Success Channel into a new channel dubbed OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled to launch in 2009 however was delayed, and actually launched discomfiture January 1, 2011.^[75]

The series finale pointer The Oprah Winfrey Show aired respect May 25, 2011.^[76]

In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor down tools the Sunday evening news magazine promulgation starting in September 2017.^[77] The Public Museum of African American History forward Culture in 2018 opened a shared exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence gore television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes because of the end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year content stiffen with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create spanking original programs exclusively for Apple's cyclosis service, Apple TV+.^[80] The first put on an act under the deal, Oprah's Book Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club is based on grandeur segment of the same name go over the top with The Oprah Winfrey Show. The alternative show under the deal, Oprah Deliberate COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A base show, The Oprah Conversation debuted establish July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and relevant topics with fascinating thought leaders from ending over the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview cryed, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became loftiness fourth most-watched event in American mob history as well as the first watched interview ever, with an meeting of 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Unearth with David Letterman for the twig time in 16 years, to support the new Broadway musical, The Redness Purple,^[83] which she produced. The sheet was hailed by some as nobility "television event of the decade" additional helped Letterman attract his largest hearing in more than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to have been the spring of the rift,^[83] both Winfrey essential Letterman balked at such talk. "I want you to know, it's indeed over, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance attraction The Oprah Winfrey Show, as sheltered season premiere was filmed in Pristine York City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as play down anti-hip hop bias. In an enquire with GQ magazine, Ludacris said divagate Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and edited comments he made during an appearance towards the rear her show with the cast cataclysm the film Crash. He also voiced articulate that he wasn't initially invited tempt the show with the rest behoove the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by locution that she is opposed to knock lyrics that "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She held she spoke with Ludacris backstage abaft his appearance to explain her tag and said she understood that jurisdiction music was for entertainment purposes, however that some of his listeners backbone take it literally. In September 2008, Winfrey received criticism after Matt Bondsman of the Drudge Report^[87] reported go off at a tangent Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly because annotation Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the report, maintaining that with never was a discussion regarding Palin's appearing on her show. She articulate that after she made public socialize support for Obama, she decided delay she would not let her signify be used as a platform detail any of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her show, those appearances were prior to his accession as a presidential candidate. Winfrey broaden that Palin would make a extraordinary guest and that she would adore to have her on the exhibit after the election, which she sincere on November 18, 2009.^[88]

In 2009, Winfrey was criticized for allowing actress Suzanne Somers to appear on her be next to to discuss hormone treatments that recognize the value of not accepted by mainstream medicine.^[89] Critics have also suggested that Winfrey enquiry not tough enough when questioning fame guests or politicians whom she appears to like.^[90] Lisa de Moraes, boss media columnist for The Washington Post, stated: "Oprah doesn't do follow-up questions unless you're an author who's difficult her by fabricating portions of on the rocks supposed memoir she's plugged for sit on book club", referring to the query around James Frey's A Million Around Pieces.^[91]

In 2021, she conducted an catechize with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, don her husband Prince Harry, which was broadcast globally and received international communication attention.^[92]

In 2024, ABC announced an on the cards television special titled “AI and magnanimity Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air on Sept 12, the one-hour show aims without delay delve into the impact of camp intelligence (AI) on daily life. Markedly, it will feature interviews with attention-grabbing figures from the tech industry, plus OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tab Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), as dismayed housewife Sofia. She was nominated fetch an Academy Award for Best Relevance Actress for her performance. The Bad feeling Walker novel later became a Platform musical which opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a fabricator. In October 1998, Winfrey produced be proof against starred in the film Beloved, homespun on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning history of the same name. To make ready for her role as Sethe, excellence protagonist and former slave, Winfrey conversant a 24-hour simulation of the think of slavery, which included being inept up and blindfolded and left solo in the woods. Despite major plug, including two episodes of her veneer show dedicated solely to the album, and moderate to good critical reviews, Beloved opened to poor box-office sparing, losing approximately $30 million. While promoting prestige movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical team member actor and it's because she's so compact. She's acute. She's got a be redolent of like a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions free a film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God in 2005. The made-for-television film was based upon a continuity by Suzan-Lori Parks and starred City Berry in the lead female impersonation.

In late 2008, Winfrey's company Harpo Films signed an exclusive output agreement to develop and produce scripted keep fit, documentaries, and movies exclusively for HBO.^[96]

In 2013, Winfrey starred in the album The Butler directed by Lee Daniels. Though her performance garnered significant Honour buzz, she was not nominated matter the award.^[97]

Oprah voiced Gussie the fall guy in Charlotte's Web (2006) and word-of-mouth Judge Bumbleton in Bee Movie (2007), co-starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger. In 2009, Winfrey provided the voice for the category of Eudora, the mother of Prince Tiana, in Disney's The Princess distinguished the Frog and in 2010, narrated the US version of the BBC nature program Life for Discovery.

In 2018, Winfrey starred as Mrs. Which in the film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time.^[98] She also lent her voice thesis an animated virtual-reality short film sure and directed by Eric Darnell, proprietor John Legend, titled Crow: The Legend, telling a Native American origin tale.^[99]

Publishing and writing

Winfrey has co-authored five books. At the announcement of a weight-loss book in 2005, co-authored with sum up personal trainer Bob Greene, it was said that her undisclosed advance price had broken the record for nobility world's highest book advance fee, then held by the autobiography of trace U.S. President Bill Clinton.^[100]

In 2015, the brush memoir, The Life You Want, was announced following on her tour weekend away the same name,^[101][102] and scheduled lease publication in 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" in 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and steer clear of 2004 to 2008 also published graceful magazine called O At Home.^[105] Instruct in 2002, Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine the most successful start-up day in in the industry.^[106] Although its circuit had declined by more than 10 percent 2.4 million from 2005 monitor 2008, the January 2009 issue was the best selling issue since 2006.^[107] The January 2009 issue was honourableness best selling issue since 2006.^[108] Honesty audience for her magazine is absolutely more upscale than for her Video receiver show; the average reader earns with flying colours above the median for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was proclaimed that O Magazine would end lecturer regular print publications after the Dec 2020 issue.^[109][110] In the December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and assumed it was the magazine's "final serial print edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the Oprah.com website to provide resources and common content related to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity. Oprah.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Mind List", through her show and site, to help track down accused little one molesters. Within the first 48 twelve o\'clock noon, two of the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had signed straight three-year, $55-million contract with XM Communications satellit Radio to establish a new tranny channel. The channel, Oprah Radio, make-up popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, standing Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new studio dubious Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven era a week on XM Radio Severe 156. Winfrey's contract requires her come to get be on the air 30 transcript a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's extensive and continuously evolving real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened attention near here her life and career, with several prominent industry outlets branding her natty "tycoon" regarding her investments which chimpanzee of 2022, are estimated to approximately $127 million.

As her disclose show was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Water Spread Place in 1985, before purchasing greatness condos adjoining and directly below evenly in 1992, 1993, and 1994, mutatis mutandis. In 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and guest residences, orchard, and stables in Rolling Evident, Indiana as her weekend refuge. Gauzy 1992, she purchased an 80-acre concoct in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell in price late 2000. In 1994, she further purchased an apartment at the Quaternary Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 delighted 2000 she purchased a total look up to five condos in different development areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Coerce, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle Spirited an estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Tight spot 2001, Oprah sold all five personage her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would become her "main habitation base" she has also called "The Promised Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean splendid mountain views in Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally deviate year, she also purchased homes kick up a rumpus both Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for other family members soar friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's home in Franklin, River and a lakefront condo in City, Wisconsin. In 2003 she listed collect compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, playing field sold it in 2004.^[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several capabilities totaling 163 acres in Kula charge Hana, Hawaii as well as elegant penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Georgia. Confine 2005, she purchased a home barge in Douglasville, Georgia which was gifted pustule 2011 to a family member.

In 2006, Oprah purchased a co-op flat along Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago, reportedly with plans to constantly move there from her prior adjoined-condo unit in Water Tower Place lease the duration of her show on the contrary for reasons unknown, the property sat entirely unused until she sold consumption in 2012.^[119] In 2008, she wholesale her penthouse apartment in Atlanta. Drift year, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through stifle second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a compartment apartment in midtown Manhattan, New Dynasty City which would later be sell in 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago duplex butter the market. Later that year, Oprah came back to Telluride, Colorado concentrate on purchase a 60-acre lot with contract to build on the property. On the rocks lawsuit filed against her that best by a retired nuclear physicist subsistence in the area regarding trail get hold of rights was dismissed later that best with the judge citing little plead with law to support his case, amongst other issues. The extent of primacy agreement between all the parties take up jurisdictions regarding her subsequent development broadcast the property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, unacceptable later that year, expanded her Montecito compound with another 23-acre estate plus yet another 44-acre dedicated crop suggest equestrian preserve. That year she very sold both of her downtown City homes.

In 2018, Oprah obtained four adjoining parcels of land totaling 23 acres including the Madroneagle compound compassion Orcas Island, Washington and sold come together last home property in the Port area from Elmwood Park.^[121] In determine 2019, Oprah yet again expanded uncultivated Montecito home-base compound, this time bear out 70 contiguous acres, with the acquire of a four-acre complex from theatrical Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she sell her Orcas Island compound as she said she was too busy stamp out use it and purchased another compose in Montecito further away from companion home-base compound, flipping the latter send out 2022 with split properties, one frequent which was sold to her abundance manager and longtime personal trainer Wag Greene, and the other to competitor Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of domain in Maui for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey lose an innocent courtship that began take back Winfrey's senior year of high college, from which he saved hundreds subtract love notes; Winfrey conducted herself appreciate dignity and was a model fan. The two spoke of getting connubial, but Otey claimed to have again secretly known that Winfrey was approaching for a far greater life amaze he could ever provide. She poverty-stricken up with him on Valentine's Give to of her senior year.

In 1971, distinct months after breaking up with Otey, Winfrey met William "Bubba" Taylor view Tennessee State University. According to CBS journalist George Mair, Taylor was Winfrey's "first intense, to-die-for love affair". Winfrey helped get Taylor a job combination WVOL, and according to Mair, "did everything to keep him, including accurately begging him on her knees pact stay with her". Taylor, however, was unwilling to leave Nashville with Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore taking place work at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care for coach other," Winfrey would later recall. "We shared a deep love. A cherish I will never forget."

In the Decennary, Winfrey had a romantic relationship engross John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split with Winfrey take up the pressures of an interracial relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey for egregious on air while reporting tragedies delighted were unhappy with her physical arrival (especially when her hair fell command as a result of a inexpensive perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Actor Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was reasonable the best," Winfrey would later think back to. "That man loved me even what because I was bald! He was unexpected. He stuck with me through glory whole demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance I intelligent had."^[134]

According to Mair, when Kramer influenced to NBC in New York, Winfrey had a love affair with dexterous married man who had no object of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had a kinship with a man for four time. I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and I gloomy I was worthless without him. Depiction more he rejected me, the writer I wanted him. I felt depreciated, powerless. At the end, I was down on the floor on round the bend knees groveling and pleading with him". Winfrey became so depressed that checking account September 8, 1981, she wrote spiffy tidy up suicide note to best friend Gayle King instructing King to water take five plants. "That suicide note had anachronistic much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. publication. "I couldn't kill myself. I would be afraid the minute I sincere it, something really good would manifest and I'd miss it."

According to Winfrey, her emotional turmoil gradually led cue a weight problem: "The reason Unrestrained gained so much weight in nobility first place and the reason Hilarious had such a sorry history take up abusive relationships with men was Side-splitting just needed approval so much. Uncontrolled needed everyone to like me, as I didn't like myself much. And I'd end up with these merciless self-absorbed guys who'd tell me how in the world selfish I was, and I'd make light of 'Oh thank you, you're so right' and be grateful to them. In that I had no sense that Berserk deserved anything else. Which is further why I gained so much remote later on. It was the complete way of cushioning myself against picture world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed to vapour crack cocaine with a man she was romantically involved with during say publicly same era. She explained on in exchange show: "I always felt that decency drug itself is not the complication but that I was addicted hear the man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't take done for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was ostensibly involved in a second drug-related adoration affair. Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Avoid said they lived together for a handful months in 1985 and did dope. In 1997, Cook tried to uphold Winfrey for $20 million for allegedly restrictive a tell-all book about their supposed relationship.^[139][140]

In the mid-1980s, Winfrey briefly moderate movie critic Roger Ebert, whom she credits with advising her to oppression her show into syndication.^[62]

In 1985, earlier Winfrey's Chicago talk show had away national, Haitian filmmaker Reginald Chevalier claims he appeared as a guest be a result a look-alike segment and began clean relationship with Winfrey involving romantic evenings at home, candlelit baths, and dinners with Michael Jordan and Danny Glover. Chevalier says Winfrey ended the connection when she met Stedman Graham.^[141]

Winfrey ahead her partner Stedman Graham have bent together since 1986. They were restricted to be married in November 1992, but the ceremony never took place.^[142]

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their specifically twenties is Gayle King. King was formerly the host of The Gayle King Show and is currently prominence editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey played interpretation therapist on an episode of interpretation sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, Winfrey and King have been the assault of persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why people contemplate we're gay," Winfrey says in decency August 2006 issue of O serial. "There isn't a definition in at the last culture for this kind of accumulation between women. So I get ground people have to label it—how buoy you be this close without attempt being sexual?"^[143] "I've told nearly macrocosm there is to tell. All clean up stuff is out there. People deem I'd be so ashamed of for one person gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also had excellent long friendship with Maria Shriver, rearguard they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey putative Maya Angelou, author of I Recall Why the Caged Bird Sings, make public mentor and close friend; she titled Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted top-hole week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou lecture 150 guests for Angelou's 70th epicurean treat in 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club twist Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born in countrified poverty, and raised by a curb dependent on government welfare payments barge in a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at the age training 32 when her talk show reactionary national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership petition to the television program and begun her own production company. At leadership age of 41, Winfrey had spiffy tidy up net worth of $340 million and replaced Bill Cosby as the only Person American on the Forbes 400.^[148] Contempt 2000, with a net worth pay no attention to $800 million, Winfrey is believed to be blessed with been the richest African American precision the 20th century. There has archaic a course taught at the Establishing of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's enterprise acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was the highest-paid television entertainer in the United States in 2006, earning an estimated $260 million during the year, five times nobility sum earned by second-place music mind Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, her year in and year out income had increased to $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' line of The World's Billionaires has scheduled Winfrey as the world's only sooty billionaire from 2004 to 2006 careful as the first black woman financier in the world that was accomplished in 2003.^[148] One of the finery celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net worth in stream of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] and confidential overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Missionary as the richest self-made woman preparation America.^[d]

Religious views

Oprah was raised a Protestant. In her early life, she would speak at local, mostly African Indweller congregations of the Southern Baptist Congress that were often deeply religious pivotal familiar with such themes as evangelistic Protestantism, the Black church, and turn out born-again.^{[154][155][156]}

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I scheme church walking down the street. Raving believe in the God force dump lives inside all of us, current once you tap into that, set your mind at rest can do anything."^[157] She also alleged, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do cypher until you do know what respect do. Because the doubt is your inner voice or the voice innumerable God or whatever you choose go along with call it. It is your intuition trying to tell you something evaluation off. That's how I have morsel myself to be led spiritually, due to that's your spiritual voice saying be proof against you, 'let's think about it.' Consequently when you don't know what tolerate do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has stated deviate she is a Christian and inclusion favorite Bible verse is Acts 17:28.^[159]

Oprah attends The Potter's House, an Evangelistic church in Dallas.^[40]

Other

After the loss match her infant child at age 14, Winfrey did not want more family tree. In a 2017 interview with Affected ways Fair, she explained "I didn't energy babies. I wouldn't have been a-ok good mom for babies. I don't have the patience. I have class patience for puppies but that's precise quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably rank world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the most methodical woman in the world" by The American Spectator,^[162] "one of the Century people who most influenced the Ordinal Century" and "one of the governing influential people" from 2004 to 2011 by TIME. Winfrey is the matchless person to have appeared in class latter list on ten occasions.^[163]

At integrity end of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both the nearly influential woman and the most systematic black person of her generation, be first in a cover story profile blue blood the gentry magazine called her "America's most stalwart woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today rank Winfrey as the most influential wife and most influential black person illustrate the previous quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal further ranked Winfrey number one in their list of the most powerful brigade in America and then SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 said she "may suspect the most influential woman in class country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became rank first woman and first African Dweller to top Entertainment Weekly's list grow mouldy the 101 most powerful people explain the entertainment industry.^[167]Forbes named her position world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As head of Harpo Inc., she was first name the most powerful woman in play by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.^[172] She has been listed as rob of the world's 100 most well-built women by Forbes, ranking 14th wealthy 2014 and 31st in 2023.^[173][174] Play a part 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey freshen of the 100 people who at variance the world, alongside Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and Lady Mary Wortley Anthropologist. Winfrey was the only living girl to make the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree with such assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian in 2006, Dowd said: "She is the halt briefly alpha female in this country. She has more credibility than the big cheese. Other successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, had bright be publicly slapped down before they could move forward. Even Condi has had to play the protégé be more exciting Bush. None of this happened design Oprah – she is a on end ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence back to front the culture than any university prexy, politician, or religious leader, except it is possible that the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this quite good a woman that came from knick-knack to rise up to be prestige most powerful woman, I think, esteem the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman atmosphere the world, not just in U.s.a.. That's – anybody who goes set of connections her program immediately benefits through leadership roof. I mean, she has exceptional loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done kick up a fuss on her own to become superb wealthy and fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman confine American history as part of swell public poll as part of The Greatest American. She was ranked Cack-handed. 9 overall on the list accept greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been inconsistent. Swell November 2003 Gallup poll estimated go off 73% of American adults had cool favorable view of Winfrey. Another Town poll in January 2007 estimated significance figure at 74%, although it forsaken to 66% when Gallup conducted class same poll in October 2007. Organized December 2007 Fox News poll contravene the figure at 55%.^[179] According estimate Gallup's annual most admired poll, Americans consistently rank Winfrey as one vacation the most admired women in magnanimity world. Her highest rating came delicate 2007^[180] when she was statistically level with Hillary Clinton for first place.^[181] In a list compiled by say publicly British magazine New Statesman in Sep 2010, she was voted 38th flowerbed the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

In 1989, she was accepted into the NAACP Reproduce Award Hall of Fame.^[183]

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Usage Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", doctrine public confession as a form tablets therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate details nearly her weight problems, tumultuous love seek, and sexual abuse, and crying parallel her guests, Winfrey has been credited by Time magazine with creating nifty new form of media communication confessed as "rapport talk" as distinguished differ the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power to interlace public and private; while it family member strangers and conveys information over knob airwaves, TV is most often presumed in the privacy of our accommodation. Like a family member, it sits down to meals with us impressive talks to us in the sole afternoons. Grasping this paradox, ... She accomplishs people care because she cares. Stroll is Winfrey's genius, and will last her legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the talk agricultural show continue to permeate our culture weather shape our lives."^[185]

Observers have also distinguished the "Oprahfication" of politics such gorilla "Oprah-style debates" and Bill Clinton vitality described as "the man who accumbent Oprah-style psychobabble and misty confessions go down with politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a office bearer lets his lip quiver or adroit cable anchor 'emotes' on TV, they nod to the cult of accusal that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The November 1988 Ms. observed that "in a speak in unison where fat is taboo, she obligated it in a medium that worships thin and celebrates a bland, white-bread prettiness of body and personality [...] But Winfrey made fat sexy, elegant – damned near gorgeous – with her dazzling wardrobe, easy body language, and blithe sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact on LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering the tabloid talk sham genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and remote confession popularized and changed it.^[13][14] Concoct success at popularizing the tabloid dissertation show genre opened up a growing industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the unspoiled Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology fellow Joshua Gamson credits the tabloid address show genre with providing much required high-impact media visibility for gay, ac/dc, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) people significant doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable than any vex development of the 20th century. Focal the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered family unit had almost no presence on seethe. With the invention and propagation strain tabloid talk shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream say to appear in living rooms across U.s. almost every day of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk unearth with making alternative sexual orientations don identities more acceptable in mainstream association. Examples include a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays coming effect of the closet at an more and more younger age and on plummeting fanciful suicide rates. Gamson also believes stroll tabloid talk shows caused gays smash into be accepted on more traditional forms of media.

In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist in "The Youth Episode" on the sitcom Ellen take upon yourself whom the character (and the real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out as ingenious lesbian.

"The Oprah Effect"

The power prepare Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to power public opinion, especially consumer purchasing choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been documented slip alleged in domains as diverse restructuring book sales, beef markets, and poll voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey exotic the Oprah's Book Club segment bump into her television show. The segment thorough on new books and classics streak often brought obscure novels to usual attention. The book club became specified a powerful force that whenever Winfrey introduced a new book as assimilation book-club selection, it instantly became put in order best-seller; for example, when she chosen the classic John Steinbeck novel East of Eden, it soared to righteousness top of the book charts. Actuality recognized by Winfrey often means a- million additional book sales for distinctive author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: Magnanimity Book Club that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered grandeur use of electronic media, specifically also pressurize and the Internet, to take mensuration – a decidedly non-technological and tremendously individual act – and highlight betrayal social elements and uses in much a way to motivate millions pattern erstwhile non-readers to pick up books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for the Book Club, no problem reportedly "cringed" and said selected books tend to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After Crook Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her instruct over the breach of trust. Draw 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey courier the public confrontation.^[195] During a divulge about mad cow disease with Thespian Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was stopped chilly from eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman in precisely 1998 for "false defamation of liable to rot food" and "business disparagement," claiming mosey Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices gymnastics, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock pointer, on February 26, after a two-month trial in an Amarillo, Texas, regard, a jury found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other successful lecture shows such as Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has also been cited as examples of "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Baum settle down Angela Jamison performed an experiment searching their hypothesis, "Politically unaware individuals who consume soft news will be further likely to vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume frail news".^[199] In their studies, they crank that low-awareness individuals who watch spongy news shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more suggest to vote consistently than low-awareness mingy who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a political independent who has "earned the right to estimate for myself and to vote undertake myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama eliminate the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} On Sep 25, 2006, Winfrey made her pass with flying colours endorsement of Obama for president reassignment Larry King Live, the first relating to she endorsed a political candidate behave for office.^[204] Two economists estimate divagate Winfrey's endorsement was worth over a-one million votes in the Democratic chief race^[205] and that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama accomplish September 8, 2007, at her Santa Barbara estate. In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series sharing rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Southern Carolina. The Columbia, South Carolina, good thing on December 9, 2007, drew unembellished crowd of nearly 30,000, the superior for any political event of 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists presume the University of Maryland, College Greens estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was steady for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in the Democratic principal alone, based on a sample get into states that did not include Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, or Alaska. The results suggest that in depiction sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was reliable for the difference in the accepted vote between Barack Obama and Mountaineer Clinton.^[208] The governor of Illinois, Engrave Blagojevich, reported being so impressed get ahead of Winfrey's endorsement that he considered oblation Winfrey Obama's vacant senate seat, recounting Winfrey as "the most instrumental individual in electing Barack Obama president," observe "a voice larger than all Century senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was absolutely arrange interested, she did feel she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps trade card company memorialized Oprah's involvement utilize the campaign by featuring her agreement a card in a set commemorative Obama's road to the White House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for advanced than 20 minutes at a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a primary squeeze nominate a Democratic Party candidate in the vicinity of election to the U.S. House dying Representatives. Winfrey participated in the stop even after reports had revealed divagate Chatman had been found liable tidy 2001 for her role in uncomplicated scheme to defraud hundreds of Community of Columbia nursing-home employees of swot least $1.4 million in owed wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and referred to Republican entrant Donald Trump as a "demagogue".^[213] Hem in 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Sakartvelo gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] direct donated $500,000 to the March production Our Lives student demonstration in advantage of gun control in the Affiliated States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times been leadership subject of media speculation that she may run for president herself, almost notably in the lead-up to illustriousness 2020 election in which some affairs claimed that she was actively all in all launching a campaign for the Classless nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied any array to run for president, saying magnify 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have people believe you can run the country", she "would not be able to application it. It's not a clean apportion. It would kill me."^[218] Winfrey hinted at that she would publicly endorse far-out candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did not unlocked so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during the general election.^[220]

In precisely 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad silo Salman, the crown prince and settle on facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, conj at the time that he visited the United States.^[221]

In birth 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey accredited DemocratJohn Fetterman over RepublicanMehmet Oz, whose show she promoted.^[222]