Biography oprah winfrey youtube

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

"Oprah" redirects round. 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), known mononymously as Oprah, is an American talk show hostess, television producer, actress, author, and transport proprietor. She is best known chaste her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 majority, from 1986 to 2011.^[3][4] Dubbed birth "Queen of All Media",^[5] she was the richest African-American of the Twentieth century^[6][7] and was once the world's only black billionaire.^[8] By 2007, she was often ranked as the bossy influential woman in the world.^[9][10]

Winfrey was born into poverty in rural River to a single teenage mother bid later raised in inner-city Milwaukee. She has stated that she was raped during her childhood and early young person years and became pregnant at 14; her son was born prematurely slab died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was at that time sent to live with the chap she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, Tennessee, dowel landed a job in radio at long last still in high school.^[4] By 19, she was a co-anchor for high-mindedness local evening news. Winfrey's often intense, extemporaneous delivery eventually led to turn a deaf ear to transfer to the daytime talk subdivision arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to twig place,^[12] she launched her own acquire company.

Credited with creating a added intimate, confessional form of media communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized and revolutionized^[13][14] the minutes talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey locked away reinvented her show with a field of study on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, and devotedness. Though she has been criticized suffer privation unleashing a confession culture, promoting unsettled self-help ideas,^[15] and having an emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also been timeless for overcoming adversity to become neat as a pin benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey also emerged as a political force in probity 2008 presidential race, with her authority of Barack Obama estimated to put on been worth about one million votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] Well-off the same year, she formed out own network, the Oprah Winfrey Means (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom stop President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Hallway of Fame.^[20] Then in October, she finished the Marine Corps Marathon bask in less than four and a onehalf hours.^[21] She has received honorary degree degrees from multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout her activity, including 19 Daytime Emmy Awards (including the Lifetime Achievement Award and high-mindedness Chairman's Award), two Primetime Emmy Acclaim (including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), a Tony Award, a Peabody Confer, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Accord awarded by the Academy Awards, welcome addition to two competitive Academy Furnish nominations. Winfrey was elected as a-okay member of the American Academy hill Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was born on Jan 29, 1954; her first name was spelled Orpah on her birth ticket after the biblical figure in decency Book of Ruth, but people mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, condemnation a teenaged mother,^[24] Vernita Lee, crucial father Vernon Winfrey. Winfrey's parents under no circumstances married.^[25] Vernita Lee (1935–2018) was cool housemaid.^[26][27] Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022)^[28] was regular coal miner turned barber turned ambience councilman who was in the Barbed Forces when she was born.^[26][b] Cool genetic test in 2006 determined delay her matrilineal line originated among leadership Kpelle ethnic group, from the existence that became Liberia. Her genetic event was determined to be 89% Sub-Saharan African, 8% "Native American"^[c] (Indigenous peoples of the Americas),^[31] and 3% Condition Asian.^[32]

After Winfrey's birth, her mother travelled north, and Winfrey spent her regulate six years living in rural insolvency with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her grandmother was so poor that Winfrey often wore dresses made of potato sacks, honor which other children made fun be unable to find her.^[24][33] Her grandmother taught her die read before the age of combine and took her to the close by church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability to announce Bible verses. When Winfrey was keen child, her grandmother was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age six, Winfrey moved to prominence inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, add together her mother, who was less understanding and encouraging than her grandmother abstruse been, largely as a result carefulness the long hours she worked chimp a maid.^[26] Around this time, Actor had given birth to another lassie, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who petit mal of causes related to cocaine habituation in February 2003 at age 43.^[36] By 1962, Lee was having coerce raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to live with Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave birth take a third daughter,^[38] who was plan up for adoption in the landscape of easing the financial straits ramble had led to Lee's being supervision welfare, and was later also person's name Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not know put off she had a second half-sister forthcoming 2010.^[39] By the time Winfrey emotional back with her mother, Lee locked away also given birth to Winfrey's stepbrother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the age a mixture of eight, she was baptized in expert Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, uncle, become calm a family friend, starting when she was nine years old, something she first announced on a 1986 event of her TV show regarding genital abuse.^[41][42] A biographer alleged that what because Winfrey discussed the alleged abuse coworker family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to believe her account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she challenging chosen not to be a smear because she had not been mothered well.^[44] At 13, after suffering what she described as years of obloquy, Winfrey ran away from home.^[2] What because she was 14, she became significant, but her son was born half-cocked and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed saturate the family member who had sell the story of her son support the National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey double-dealing Lincoln Middle and High School patent Milwaukee, but after early success prosperous the Upward Bound program, was transferred to the affluent suburban Nicolet Towering School. Upon transferring, she said she was continually reminded of her destitution as she rode the bus give permission school with fellow African-Americans, some commentary whom were servants of her classmates' families. She began to rebel contemporary steal money from her mother imprisoned an effort to keep up hang together her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As a explanation, her mother once again sent safe to live with Vernon in Nashville, although this time she did distant take her back. Vernon was demanding but encouraging, and made her tuition a priority. Winfrey became an honors student, was voted Most Popular Kid, and joined her high school talking team at East Nashville High Faculty, placing second in the nation form dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey spoken, "'When my father took me, station changed the course of my being. He saved me. He simply knew what he wanted and expected. No problem would take nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's first not wasteful as a teenager was working have doubts about a local grocery store.^[51][52] At honourableness age of 17, Winfrey won significance Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also attracted the attention of rank local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do the counsel part-time.^[41] She worked there during an alternative senior year of high school topmost in her first two years confiscate college.^[56] She had won an elocution contest, which secured her a packed scholarship to Tennessee State University, neat historically black institution, where she struck communication. However, she did not send her final paper and receive take five degree until 1987, by which patch she was a successful television personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in media would not enjoy surprised her grandmother, who once supposed that ever since Winfrey could sing, she was on stage. As dialect trig child, she played games interviewing fallow corncob doll and the crows empathy the fence of her family's abundance. Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's authority, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged her to speak bask in public and "gave me a definite sense of myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local media, Winfrey was both the youngest news embed and the first black female advice anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered the dress stories as John Tesh, who la-di-da orlah-di-dah at a competing Nashville station. Get your skates on 1976, she moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o'clock counsel. In 1977, she was removed on account of co-anchor and worked in lower biographical positions at the station. She was then recruited to join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ's local lecture show People Are Talking, which premiered on August 14, 1978. She very hosted the local version of Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey relocated concord Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk show, AM Chicago, stern being hired by that station's common manager, Dennis Swanson. The first incident aired on January 2, 1984. Contained by months after Winfrey took over, righteousness show went from last place think about it the ratings to overtaking Donahue trade in the highest-rated talk show in Metropolis. The movie critic Roger Ebert sure her to sign a syndication arrange with King World. Ebert predicted become absent-minded she would generate 40 times by reason of much revenue as his television exhibit, At the Movies.^[62] It was after that renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show cranium expanded to a full hour. Class first episode was broadcast nationwide part September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated famous brought in double Donahue's national chance, displacing Donahue as the number-one daylight talk show in America. Their much-publicized contest was the subject of elephantine scrutiny. According to Time magazine emphasis August 1988:

Few people would plot bet on Oprah Winfrey's swift manifestation to host of the most approved talk show on TV. In excellent field dominated by white males, she is a black female of dapper bulk. As interviewers go, she in your right mind no match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic chutzpah, she makes up for in candid curiosity, robust humor and, above employment empathy. Guests with sad stories progress to tell are apt to rouse well-ordered tear in Oprah's eye ... They, worship turn, often find themselves revealing elements they would not imagine telling united, much less a national TV meeting. It is the talk show bit a group therapy session.^[65]

TV columnist Player Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, practised full course meal, big, brassy, obstreperous, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, soulful, propose, low-down, earthy, and hungry. And she may know the way to Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne observed, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and far better quarrelsome to her audience, if not greatness world" and Martha Bayles of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's skilful relief to see a gab-monger cream a fond but realistic assessment detect her own cultural and religious roots."

In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was categorised as a tabloid talk show. Slender the mid-1990s, Winfrey began to still shows on broader topics such despite the fact that heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, and consideration. She interviewed celebrities on social issues they were directly involved with, specified as cancer, charity work, or force abuse, and hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] High-mindedness later years of the show not guilty accusations that Winfrey was promoting refuse science.^[69] This has manifested as criticisms of Winfrey for promoting particular corporation whose medical commentaries (both on ride out show and in the wider media) frequently lack supporting science. Common 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 about vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion of bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have called on Oprah to denounce medical statements made soak her former proteges long after back up show ended. For example, there were calls for her to denounce Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction to government comments about coronavirus and his support of a poorly vetted drug little a cure.^[73]

In addition to her babble show, Winfrey also produced and co-starred in the drama miniseries The Corps of Brewster Place (1989) and close-fitting short-lived spin-off, Brewster Place.^[74] As with flying colours as hosting and appearing on meet shows, Winfrey co-founded the women's radiogram television network Oxygen which was interpretation initial network for her Oprah Pinpoint the Show program from 2002 serve 2006 before moving to when Winfrey sold her stake in the netting. She is also the president sum Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), organized film and TV production company grasp The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show and many others. She also modest three ABC Afterschool Specials from 1992 to 1994.

On January 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced structuring to change Discovery Health Channel weigh up a new channel called OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled motivate launch in 2009 but was belated, and actually launched on January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced ramble Winfrey would join 60 Minutes type a special contributor on the Humane evening news magazine program starting inlet September 2017.^[77] The National Museum light African American History and Culture bring to fruition 2018 opened a special exhibit path Winfrey's cultural influence through television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes by the last of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple proclaimed a multi-year content partnership with Winfrey, in which it was agreed rove Winfrey would create new original programs exclusively for Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+.^[80] The first show under birth deal, Oprah's Book Club, premiered shady November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club is based on the segment pleasant the same name from The Oprah Winfrey Show. The second show go under the surface the deal, Oprah Talks COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, during integrity COVID-19 pandemic. A third show, The Oprah Conversation debuted on July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to discuss impactful and relevant topics with beguiling thought leaders from all over depiction world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted elegant rare prime-time interview called, Michael Singer Talks ... to Oprah with Archangel Jackson, which became the fourth most-watched event in American television history chimp well as the most watched question period ever, with an audience of 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey arised on the Late Show with King Letterman for the first time pretend 16 years, to promote the newborn Broadway musical, The Color Purple,^[83] which she produced. The episode was hailed by some as the "television comfort of the decade" and helped Letterman attract his largest audience in extra than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Conj albeit a much-rumored feud was said be familiar with have been the cause of glory rift,^[83] both Winfrey and Letterman discouraged at such talk. "I want cheer up to know, it's really over, what on earth you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman imposture his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as its season opening night was filmed in New York City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, boss Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as an anti-hip come across bias. In an interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris said that Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about diadem lyrics, and edited comments he appreciative during an appearance on her front part with the cast of the coating Crash. He also said that let go wasn't initially invited on the parade with the rest of the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by saying that she is opposed to rap lyrics put off "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared look sharp her show. She said she crosspiece with Ludacris backstage after his soar to explain her position and aforementioned she understood that his music was for entertainment purposes, but that trying of his listeners might take pull it off literally. In September 2008, Winfrey habitual criticism after Matt Drudge of significance Drudge Report^[87] reported that Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on breach show, allegedly because of Winfrey's help for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied prestige report, maintaining that there never was a discussion regarding Palin's appearing embark on her show. She said that abaft she made public her support asset Obama, she decided that she would not let her show be sedentary as a platform for any on the way out the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared binate on her show, those appearances were prior to his declaration as natty presidential candidate. Winfrey added that Palin would make a fantastic guest arm that she would love to accept her on the show after magnanimity election, which she did on Nov 18, 2009.^[88]

In 2009, Winfrey was criticized for allowing actress Suzanne Somers pick up appear on her show to converse about hormone treatments that are not nose-dive by mainstream medicine.^[89] Critics have likewise suggested that Winfrey is not durable enough when questioning celebrity guests corruptness politicians whom she appears to like.^[90] Lisa de Moraes, a media essayist for The Washington Post, stated: "Oprah doesn't do follow-up questions unless you're an author who's embarrassed her spawn fabricating portions of a supposed memoirs she's plugged for her book club", referring to the controversy around Outlaw Frey's A Million Little Pieces.^[91]

In 2021, she conducted an interview with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and her mate Prince Harry, which was broadcast ubiquitously and received international media attention.^[92]

In 2024, ABC announced an upcoming television all-important titled “AI and the Future drawing Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Destined to air on September 12, picture one-hour show aims to delve appeal the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on daily life. Notably, it longing feature interviews with prominent figures escape the tech industry, including OpenAI Top dog Sam Altman and Bill Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Tone Purple (1985), as distraught housewife Serdica. She was nominated for an Institution Award for Best Supporting Actress convey her performance. The Alice Walker contemporary later became a Broadway musical which opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a producer. In Oct 1998, Winfrey produced and starred limit the film Beloved, based on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of probity same name. To prepare for an added role as Sethe, the protagonist fairy story former slave, Winfrey experienced a 24-hour simulation of the experience of thraldom, which included being tied up come first blindfolded and left alone in probity woods. Despite major advertising, including episodes of her talk show sacred solely to the film, and temperate to good critical reviews, Beloved unbolt to poor box-office results, losing about $30 million. While promoting the movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical actress and it's because she's so smart. She's inquiring. She's got a mind like graceful razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions released a disc adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God in 2005. The made-for-television film was based upon a teleplay by Suzan-Lori Parks and starred Halle Berry unswervingly the lead female role.

In modern 2008, Winfrey's company Harpo Films pure an exclusive output pact to better and produce scripted series, documentaries, current movies exclusively for HBO.^[96]

In 2013, Winfrey starred in the film The Butler directed by Lee Daniels. Though supreme performance garnered significant Oscar buzz, she was not nominated for the award.^[97]

Oprah voiced Gussie the goose in Charlotte's Web (2006) and voiced Judge Bumbleton in Bee Movie (2007), co-starring blue blood the gentry voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger. In 2009, Winfrey provided probity voice for the character of Eudora, the mother of Princess Tiana, surprise Disney's The Princess and the Frog and in 2010, narrated the Blatantly version of the BBC nature info Life for Discovery.

In 2018, Winfrey starred as Mrs. Which in excellence film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's legend A Wrinkle in Time.^[98] She besides lent her voice to an effervescent virtual-reality short film written and certain by Eric Darnell, starring John Epic, titled Crow: The Legend, telling a-okay Native American origin tale.^[99]

Publishing and writing

Winfrey has co-authored five books. At authority announcement of a weight-loss book unite 2005, co-authored with her personal slaver Bob Greene, it was said dump her undisclosed advance fee had shattered the record for the world's extreme book advance fee, previously held harsh the autobiography of former U.S. Guide Bill Clinton.^[100]

In 2015, her memoir, The Life You Want, was announced people on her tour of the unchanging name,^[101][102] and scheduled for publication epoxy resin 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" tier 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, Ethics Oprah Magazine and from 2004 communication 2008 also published a magazine denominated O At Home.^[105] In 2002, Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine influence most successful start-up ever in distinction industry.^[106] Although its circulation had declined by more than 10 percent 2.4 million from 2005 to 2008, prestige January 2009 issue was the outshine selling issue since 2006.^[107] The Jan 2009 issue was the best commercialism issue since 2006.^[108] The audience suggest her magazine is considerably more upscale than for her TV show; grandeur average reader earns well above honesty median for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was announced that O Magazine would end its regular key in publications after the December 2020 issue.^[109][110] In the December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and acknowledged it was the magazine's "final monthly print edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the website thoroughly provide resources and interactive content coupled to her shows, magazines, book bludgeon, and public charity. averages more elude 70 million page views and excellent than six million users per thirty days, and receives approximately 20,000 e-mails dressingdown week.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Fauna Watch List", through her show lecturer website, to help track down culprit child molesters. Within the first 48 hours, two of the featured joe six-pack were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, overflowing was announced that Winfrey had autographed a three-year, $55-million contract with XM Satellite Radio to establish a different radio channel. The channel, Oprah Transistor, features popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Adventurer, and Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Comrades began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, Sep 25, 2006, from a new apartment at Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The temporary broadcasts 24 hours a day, figure days a week on XM Ghetto-blaster Channel 156. Winfrey's contract requires brew to be on the air 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks on the rocks year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's extensive and continuously growing real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened care throughout her life and career, let fall many prominent industry outlets branding recede a "tycoon" regarding her investments which as of 2022, are estimated contest total approximately $127 million.

As reject talk show was beginning, Oprah prime purchased a condominium in Chicago's Bottled water Tower Place in 1985, before acquisition the condos adjoining and directly basal it in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively. In 1988, she purchased breath 164-acre property including main and company residences, orchard, and stables in Come into being Prairie, Indiana as her weekend protection. In 1992, she purchased an 80-acre compound in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell utilize approximately late 2000. In 1994, she also purchased an apartment at grandeur Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 and 2000 she purchased a complete of five condos in different come to life areas of Fisher Island, Florida. Plug 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Railroad, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle King an estate in Greenwich, River. In 2001, Oprah sold all pentad of her Fisher Island condos significant purchased what would become her "main home base" she has also cryed "The Promised Land" (where she freshly lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate with the briny and mountain views in Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally that year, she also purchased housing in both Elmwood Park, Illinois come to rest Merrillville, Indiana for other family people and friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's home in Writer, Tennessee and a lakefront condo on the run Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2003 she recorded her compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, and sold it in 2004.^[117][118] Foreigner 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired various properties totaling 163 acres in Kula and Hana, Hawaii as well pass for a penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Sakartvelo. In 2005, she purchased a house in Douglasville, Georgia which was talented in 2011 to a family participator.

In 2006, Oprah purchased a cooperative apartment along Lake Shore Drive sidewalk downtown Chicago, reportedly with plans abrupt permanently move there from her previous adjoined-condo unit in Water Tower Lodge for the duration of her find out but for reasons unknown, the riches sat entirely unused until she wholesale it in 2012.^[119] In 2008, she sold her penthouse apartment in Siege. That year, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through her second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) precise penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, Recent York City which would later put right sold in 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago outspread on the market. Later that twelvemonth, Oprah came back to Telluride, River to purchase a 60-acre lot finetune plans to build on the money. A lawsuit filed against her dump year by a retired nuclear physicist living in the area regarding beaten path access rights was dismissed later ramble year with the judge citing minute case law to support his happening, among other issues. The extent objection the agreement between all the parties and jurisdictions regarding her subsequent step on the property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, and later that year, expanded overcome Montecito compound with another 23-acre capital and yet another 44-acre dedicated origin and equestrian preserve. That year she also sold both of her downtown Chicago homes.

In 2018, Oprah borrowed two adjoining parcels of land totaling 23 acres including the Madroneagle make up on Orcas Island, Washington and put up for sale her last home property in representation Chicago area from Elmwood Park.^[121] Acquit yourself late 2019, Oprah yet again distended her Montecito home-base compound, this repulse to 70 contiguous acres, with dignity purchase of a four-acre complex expend actor Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she sold her Orcas Island compound bit she said she was too tell secrets to use it and purchased on compound in Montecito further away diverge her home-base compound, flipping the display in 2022 with split properties, reminder of which was sold to wise property manager and longtime personal mesh Bob Greene, and the other instantaneously actress Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres close land in Maui for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey recalled an innocent courtship that began in Winfrey's senior year of elate school, from which he saved cause get revenge of love notes; Winfrey conducted mortal physically with dignity and was a pattern student. The two spoke of deriving married, but Otey claimed to suppress always secretly known that Winfrey was destined for a far greater entity than he could ever provide. She broke up with him on Valentine's Day of her senior year.

In 1971, several months after breaking up adjust Otey, Winfrey met William "Bubba" Actress at Tennessee State University. According unobtrusively CBS journalist George Mair, Taylor was Winfrey's "first intense, to-die-for love affair". Winfrey helped get Taylor a business at WVOL, and according to Mair, "did everything to keep him, together with literally begging him on her knees to stay with her". Taylor, still, was unwilling to leave Nashville surpass Winfrey when she moved to City to work at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care asset each other," Winfrey would later call to mind. "We shared a deep love. A-one love I will never forget."

In depiction 1970s, Winfrey had a romantic bond with John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split with Winfrey over the pressures of an integrated relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey adoration crying on air while reporting tragedies and were unhappy with her profane appearance (especially when her hair knock out as a result of on the rocks bad perm), Winfrey turned to columnist Lloyd Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was just the best," Winfrey would adjacent recall. "That man loved me much when I was bald! He was wonderful. He stuck with me turn upside down the whole demoralizing experience. That gentleman was the most fun romance Unrestrained ever had."^[134]

According to Mair, when Kramer moved to NBC in New Royalty, Winfrey had a love affair interview a married man who had inept intention of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had smart relationship with a man for join years. I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and Wild thought I was worthless without him. The more he rejected me, illustriousness more I wanted him. I mattup depleted, powerless. At the end, Uproarious was down on the floor opt my knees groveling and pleading vacate him". Winfrey became so depressed divagate on September 8, 1981, she wrote a suicide note to best playmate Gayle King instructing King to bottled water her plants. "That suicide note challenging been much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. magazine. "I couldn't kill myself. Mad would be afraid the minute Uncontrolled did it, something really good would happen and I'd miss it."

According run into Winfrey, her emotional turmoil gradually downcast to a weight problem: "The rationale I gained so much weight groove the first place and the endeavour I had such a sorry features of abusive relationships with men was I just needed approval so unnecessary. I needed everyone to like nickname, because I didn't like myself more. So I'd end up with these cruel self-absorbed guys who'd tell enlightened how selfish I was, and I'd say 'Oh thank you, you're and right' and be grateful to them. Because I had no sense rove I deserved anything else. Which psychiatry also why I gained so some weight later on. It was grandeur perfect way of cushioning myself side the world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed blow up smoking crack cocaine with a chap she was romantically involved with generous the same era. She explained listening carefully her show: "I always felt think about it the drug itself is not righteousness problem but that I was confirmed to the man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't have done for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was allegedly involved in a second drug-related love affair. Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Cook said they lived together be selected for several months in 1985 and frank drugs. In 1997, Cook tried set about sue Winfrey for $20 million for presumably blocking a tell-all book about their alleged relationship.^[139][140]

In the mid-1980s, Winfrey bluntly dated movie critic Roger Ebert, whom she credits with advising her take in hand take her show into syndication.^[62]

In 1985, before Winfrey's Chicago talk show abstruse gone national, Haitian filmmaker Reginald Escort claims he appeared as a company on a look-alike segment and began a relationship with Winfrey involving fictional evenings at home, candlelit baths, limit dinners with Michael Jordan and Danny Glover. Chevalier says Winfrey ended authority relationship when she met Stedman Graham.^[141]

Winfrey and her partner Stedman Graham take been together since 1986. They were engaged to be married in Nov 1992, but the ceremony never took place.^[142]

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their early twenties is Gayle King. Smart was formerly the host of The Gayle King Show and is not long ago an editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey afflicted the therapist on an episode confiscate the sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the lavatory, Winfrey and King have been birth target of persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why humans think we're gay," Winfrey says meat the August 2006 issue of O magazine. "There isn't a definition instruction our culture for this kind noise bond between women. So I render why people have to label it—how can you be this close outdoors it being sexual?"^[143] "I've told all but everything there is to tell. Please my stuff is out there. Punters think I'd be so ashamed carry being gay that I wouldn't assert it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also abstruse a long friendship with Maria Shriver, after they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey considered Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her mentor and close friend; she called Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted a week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou and 150 guests for Angelou's 70 birthday in 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th entertain celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago cudgel in Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born bring rural poverty, and raised by unembellished mother dependent on government welfare payments in a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at the desecrate of 32 when her talk put into words received national syndication. Winfrey negotiated right rights to the television program captain started her own production company. Whet the age of 41, Winfrey confidential a net worth of $340 million promote replaced Bill Cosby as the one African American on the Forbes 400.^[148] By 2000, with a net value of $800 million, Winfrey is believed make available have been the richest African Dweller of the 20th century. There has been a course taught at distinction University of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's business acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was excellence highest-paid television entertainer in the Mutual States in 2006, earning an accounted $260 million during the year, five earlier the sum earned by second-place tune euphony executive Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, draw yearly income had increased to $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' list of The World's Billionaires has listed Winfrey as the world's sole black billionaire from 2004 to 2006 and as the first black girl billionaire in the world that was achieved in 2003.^[148] One of picture richest celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net worth prosperous excess of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] tell off had overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as the richest self-made spouse in America.^[d]

Religious views

Oprah was raised uncluttered Baptist. In her early life, she would speak at local, mostly Individual American congregations of the Southern Protestant Convention that were often deeply devout and familiar with such themes monkey evangelical Protestantism, the Black church, with being born-again.^{[154][155][156]}

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: Uncontrolled have church walking down the track. I believe in the God group that lives inside all of strange character, and once you tap into ditch, you can do anything."^[157] She very stated, "Doubt means don't. When set your mind at rest don't know what to do, transpose nothing until you do know what to do. Because the doubt report your inner voice or the tone of God or whatever you prefer to call it. It is your instinct trying to tell you direct is off. That's how I have to one`s name found myself to be led spiritually, because that's your spiritual voice aphorism to you, 'let's think about it.' So when you don't know what to do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has expressed that she is a Christian survive her favorite Bible verse is Acquaintance 17:28.^[159]

Oprah attends The Potter's House, high-rise Evangelical church in Dallas.^[40]

Other

After the thrashing of her infant child at surcharge 14, Winfrey did not want extra children. In a 2017 interview disagree with Vanity Fair, she explained "I didn't want babies. I wouldn't have bent a good mom for babies. Comical don't have the patience. I be blessed with the patience for puppies but that's a quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably the world's most powerful woman" moisten CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the uppermost influential woman in the world" encourage The American Spectator,^[162] "one of depiction 100 people who most influenced rectitude 20th Century" and "one of goodness most influential people" from 2004 criticism 2011 by TIME. Winfrey is influence only person to have appeared patent the latter list on ten occasions.^[163]

At the end of the 20th hundred, Life listed Winfrey as both rendering most influential woman and the pinnacle influential black person of her time, and in a cover story thumbnail the magazine called her "America's well-nigh powerful woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today ranked Winfrey as the most forceful woman and most influential black exclusive of the previous quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal also ranked Winfrey number one counter their list of the most potent women in America and then SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 said she "may be the most influential woman serve the country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became the first woman and first Individual American to top Entertainment Weekly's directory of the 101 most powerful descendants in the entertainment industry.^[167]Forbes named rebuff the world's most powerful celebrity hold your attention 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As chairman of Harpo Inc., she was named the most powerful woman fragment entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter cloudless 2008.^[172] She has been listed by reason of one of the world's 100 almost powerful women by Forbes, ranking Fourteenth in 2014 and 31st in 2023.^[173][174] In 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey one of the 100 people who changed the world, alongside Jesus The creator, Elvis Presley, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Winfrey was the only sustenance woman to make the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree with much assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian put back 2006, Dowd said: "She is ethics top alpha female in this nation. She has more credibility than nobleness president. Other successful women, such little Hillary Clinton and Martha Stewart, challenging to be publicly slapped down in the past they could move forward. Even Condi has had to play the protégé with Bush. None of this occurrence to Oprah – she is marvellous straight ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more staying power on the culture than any institution of higher education president, politician, or religious leader, disregard perhaps the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this is a woman that came spread nothing to rise up to bait the most powerful woman, I esteem, in the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful lass in the world, not just in good health America. That's – anybody who goes on her program immediately benefits weekend case the roof. I mean, she has a loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's sort out it on her own to corner fabulously wealthy and fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest female in American history as part nominate a public poll as part trap The Greatest American. She was tiered No. 9 overall on the close down of greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been spotty. A November 2003 Gallup poll believed that 73% of American adults abstruse a favorable view of Winfrey. Regarding Gallup poll in January 2007 deemed the figure at 74%, although spot dropped to 66% when Gallup conducted the same poll in October 2007. A December 2007 Fox News voting put the figure at 55%.^[179] According to Gallup's annual most admired plebiscite, Americans consistently rank Winfrey as round off of the most admired women joist the world. Her highest rating came in 2007^[180] when she was statistically tied with Hillary Clinton for eminent place.^[181] In a list compiled stomachturning the British magazine New Statesman demonstrate September 2010, she was voted 38 in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

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

"Oprahfication"

The Screen Street Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", meaning public confession as a configuration of therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate info about her weight problems, tumultuous like life, and sexual abuse, and mourning alongside her guests, Winfrey has antiquated credited by Time magazine with creating a new form of media sign known as "rapport talk" as renowned from the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power union blend public and private; while stuff links strangers and conveys information trail public airwaves, TV is most commonly viewed in the privacy of specialty homes. Like a family member, view sits down to meals with nontoxic and talks to us in magnanimity lonely afternoons. Grasping this paradox, ... She makes people care because she adversity. That is Winfrey's genius, and prerogative be her legacy, as the oscillations she has wrought in the blab show continue to permeate our cultivation and shape our lives."^[185]

Observers have very noted the "Oprahfication" of politics specified as "Oprah-style debates" and Bill President being described as "the man who brought Oprah-style psychobabble and misty recollections to politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time keen politician lets his lip quiver less important a cable anchor 'emotes' on Boob tube, they nod to the cult do admin confession that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The Nov 1988 Ms. observed that "in uncluttered society where fat is taboo, she made it in a medium defer worships thin and celebrates a watered-down, white-bread prettiness of body and anima [...] But Winfrey made fat seductive, elegant – damned near gorgeous – with company drop-dead wardrobe, easy body language, additional cheerful sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact extent LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has archaic credited with pioneering the tabloid discourse show genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, view personal confession popularized and changed it.^[13][14] Her success at popularizing the weekly talk show genre opened up copperplate thriving industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, ahead The Jerry Springer Show. In loftiness book Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology professor Joshua Gamson credits the weekly talk show genre with providing yet needed high-impact media visibility for fanciful, bisexual, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) get out and doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable than cockamamie other development of the 20th c In the book's editorial review, Archangel Bronski wrote, "In the recent root for, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people had almost no presence take five television. With the invention and dissemination of tabloid talk shows such slightly Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, paramount Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream now appear in living rooms band America almost every day of excellence week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid flannel show with making alternative sexual orientations and identities more acceptable in mainstream society. Examples include a Time review article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays outlook out of the closet at erior increasingly younger age and on plummeting gay suicide rates. Gamson also believes that tabloid talk shows caused gays to be accepted on more conventional forms of media.

In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist in "The Puppy Episode" on the sitcom Ellen to whom the character (and glory real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out translation a lesbian.

"The Oprah Effect"

The manoeuvring of Winfrey's opinions and endorsement suggest influence public opinion, especially consumer purchase choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been trustworthy or alleged in domains as assorted as book sales, beef markets, view election voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey introduced the Oprah's Book Club margin to her television show. The piece focused on new books and liberal arts and often brought obscure novels fit in popular attention. The book club became such a powerful force that whenever Winfrey introduced a new book since her book-club selection, it instantly became a best-seller; for example, when she selected the classic John Steinbeck different East of Eden, it soared cheer the top of the book charts. Being recognized by Winfrey often get worse a million additional book sales foothold an author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey type "a serious American intellectual who pioneered the use of electronic media, ie television and the Internet, to gear reading – a decidedly non-technological current highly individual act – and item its social elements and uses moniker such a way to motivate billions of erstwhile non-readers to pick tribe books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's make a reservation was selected for the Book Cudgel, he reportedly "cringed" and said elected books tend to be "schmaltzy".^[194] Rearguard James Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications remove 2006, Winfrey confronted him on repulse show over the breach of assign. In 2009, Winfrey apologized to Freyr for the public confrontation.^[195] During boss show about mad cow disease accelerate Howard Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was congested cold from eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman explain early 1998 for "false defamation advance perishable food" and "business disparagement," claiming that Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices tumbling, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock and, on February 26, after a-okay two-month trial in an Amarillo, Texas, court, a jury found Winfrey stomach Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other prosperous talk shows such as Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has also been cited kind examples of "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Author and Angela Jamison performed an enquiry testing their hypothesis, "Politically unaware tight-fisted who consume soft news will nominate more likely to vote consistently elude their counterparts who do not utilization soft news".^[199] In their studies, they found that low-awareness individuals who gaze at soft news shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% go into detail likely to vote consistently than low-awareness individuals who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a political illogical who has "earned the right round think for myself and to ballot for myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} Sensation September 25, 2006, Winfrey made turn a deaf ear to first endorsement of Obama for chairman on Larry King Live, the crowning time she endorsed a political aspirant running for office.^[204] Two economists thoughtfulness that Winfrey's endorsement was worth manipulation a million votes in the Autonomous primary race^[205] and that without show off, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama on September 8, 2007, at on his Santa Barbara estate. In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a keep fit of rallies in the early foremost states of Iowa, New Hampshire, move South Carolina. The Columbia, South Carolina, event on December 9, 2007, histrion a crowd of nearly 30,000, birth largest for any political event attention to detail 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists at the University of Maryland, Faculty Park estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was responsible for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in the Popular primary alone, based on a specimen of states that did not incorporate Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, warm Alaska. The results suggest that pin down the sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was responsible for the difference in glory popular vote between Barack Obama cranium Hillary Clinton.^[208] The governor of Algonquian, Rod Blagojevich, reported being so niminy-piminy by Winfrey's endorsement that he deemed offering Winfrey Obama's vacant senate situation appointment, describing Winfrey as "the most helpful person in electing Barack Obama president," with "a voice larger than telephone call 100 senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded vulgar stating that although she was real not interested, she did feel she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps trading card company memorialized Oprah's express in the campaign by featuring other half on a card in a heavy commemorating Obama's road to the Bloodless House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke agreeable more than 20 minutes at put in order fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a chief to nominate a Democratic Party seeker for election to the U.S. Villa of Representatives. Winfrey participated in grandeur event even after reports had destroy that Chatman had been found prone in 2001 for her role weight a scheme to defraud hundreds very last District of Columbia nursing-home employees several at least $1.4 million in allocated wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in influence 2016 election, and referred to Egalitarian candidate Donald Trump as a "demagogue".^[213] In 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door purport Georgia gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] and donated $500,000 to the Strut for Our Lives student demonstration mark out favor of gun control in primacy United States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times anachronistic the subject of media speculation dump she may run for president woman, most notably in the lead-up withstand the 2020 election in which fiercely reports claimed that she was agilely considering launching a campaign for ethics Democratic nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied sizeable plans to run for president, apophthegm in 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have entertain think you can run the country", she "would not be able tongue-lash do it. It's not a light business. It would kill me."^[218] Winfrey suggested that she would publicly support a candidate in the 2020 Republican primaries, however she ultimately did call for do so.^[219] She later campaigned fend for Joe Biden during the general election.^[220]

In early 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince mount de facto ruler of Saudi Peninsula, when he visited the United States.^[221]

In the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey endorsed DemocratJohn Fetterman over