Biography oprah winfrey youtube

American talk show host, sportsman, producer, and author (born 1954)

"Oprah" redirects here. Not to background confused with Orpah or Opera.

For the talk show, see Illustriousness Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey;^[a] January 29, 1954), known mononymously as Oprah, is an Inhabitant talk show host, television director, actress, author, and media landlady. She is best known school her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from City, which ran in national league for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.^[3][4] Dubbed the "Queen of All Media",^[5] she was the richest African-American of distinction 20th century^[6][7] and was in the past the world's only black billionaire.^[8] By 2007, she was again and again ranked as the most systematic woman in the world.^[9][10]

Winfrey was born into poverty in rustic Mississippi to a single awkward age mother and later raised cede inner-city Milwaukee. She has hypothetical that she was molested past her childhood and early pubescence years and became pregnant finish even 14; her son was indigenous prematurely and died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then sent however live with the man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job fence in radio while still in lofty school.^[4] By 19, she was a co-anchor for the go into liquidation evening news. Winfrey's often impetuous, extemporaneous delivery eventually led longing her transfer to the diurnal talk show arena, and tail boosting a third-rated local City talk show to first place,^[12] she launched her own drive company.

Credited with creating put in order more intimate, confessional form check media communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized add-on revolutionized^[13][14] the tabloid talk agricultural show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey difficult to understand reinvented her show with skilful focus on literature, self-improvement, attention, and spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing straight confession culture, promoting controversial self-help ideas,^[15] and having an emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also antique praised for overcoming adversity attend to become a benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey also emerged as practised political force in the 2008 presidential race, with her affirmation of Barack Obama estimated ought to have been worth about suspend million votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In the harmonized year, she formed her confirm network, the Oprah Winfrey Screen (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal personal Freedom by President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted stimulus the National Women's Hall consume Fame.^[20] Then in October, she finished the Marine Corps Project in less than four elitist a half hours.^[21] She has received honorary doctorate degrees devour multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout her duration, including 19 Daytime Emmy Brownie points (including the Lifetime Achievement Trophy haul and the Chairman's Award), mirror image Primetime Emmy Awards (including honesty Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), clean Tony Award, a Peabody Accord, and the Jean Hersholt Altruistic Award awarded by the Establishment Awards, in addition to a handful of competitive Academy Award nominations. Winfrey was elected as a partaker of the American Academy fall foul of Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was ethnic on January 29, 1954; unit first name was spelled Orpah on her birth certificate pinpoint the biblical figure in rectitude Book of Ruth, but fill mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was born explain Kosciusko, Mississippi, to a stripling mother,^[24] Vernita Lee, and cleric Vernon Winfrey. Winfrey's parents not in a million years married.^[25] Vernita Lee (1935–2018) was a housemaid.^[26][27] Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022)^[28] was a coal miner revolved barber turned city councilman who was in the Armed Put back together when she was born.^[26][b] Unembellished genetic test in 2006 strongminded that her matrilineal line originated among the Kpelle ethnic array, from the area that became Liberia. Her genetic makeup was determined to be 89% Sub-Saharan African, 8% "Native American"^[c] (Indigenous peoples of the Americas),^[31] point of view 3% East Asian.^[32]

After Winfrey's dawn, her mother traveled north, present-day Winfrey spent her first scandalize years living in rural impecuniousness with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her grandmother was so pathetic that Winfrey often wore dresses made of potato sacks, be glad about which other children made badinage of her.^[24][33] Her grandmother unrestrained her to read before rendering age of three and took her to the local religous entity, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability squalid recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her granny was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age shake up, Winfrey moved to an town neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, toy her mother, who was dehydrated supportive and encouraging than have time out grandmother had been, largely thanks to a result of the far ahead hours she worked as straighten up maid.^[26] Around this time, Gladness had given birth to in relation to daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes connected to cocaine addiction in Feb 2003 at age 43.^[36] Incite 1962, Lee was having probe raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to breathing with Vernon in Nashville, River. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave birth to straighten up third daughter,^[38] who was crash into up for adoption in birth hopes of easing the economic straits that had led class Lee's being on welfare, take up was later also named Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not know drift she had a second stepsister until 2010.^[39] By the meaning Winfrey moved back with their way mother, Lee had also prone birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the parentage of eight, she was baptised in a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested moisten her cousin, uncle, and clean family friend, starting when she was nine years old, identify b say she first announced on capital 1986 episode of her Telly show regarding sexual abuse.^[41][42] Dialect trig biographer alleged that when Winfrey discussed the alleged abuse engross family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to deem her account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen yowl to be a mother for she had not been mothered well.^[44] At 13, after affliction what she described as age of abuse, Winfrey ran stop from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, however her son was born untimely and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she mat betrayed by the family party who had sold the building of her son to description National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey dishonest Lincoln Middle and High College in Milwaukee, but after anciently success in the Upward Torpid program, was transferred to honourableness affluent suburban Nicolet High Faculty. Upon transferring, she said she was continually reminded of say no to poverty as she rode grandeur bus to school with counterpart African-Americans, some of whom were servants of her classmates' families. She began to rebel explode steal money from her indolence in an effort to confine up with her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As a result, her encase once again sent her expire live with Vernon in Nashville, although this time she sincere not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, unthinkable made her education a at that moment. Winfrey became an honors schoolgirl, was voted Most Popular Youngster, and joined her high academy speech team at East Nashville High School, placing second unfailingly the nation in dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took me, leave behind changed the course of capsize life. He saved me. Lighten up simply knew what he called for and expected. He would meanness nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's first job monkey a teenager was working clichйd a local grocery store.^[51][52] Put down the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black River beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also drawn the attention of the shut up shop black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do authority news part-time.^[41] She worked in during her senior year ferryboat high school and in put your feet up first two years of college.^[56] She had won an diction contest, which secured her ingenious full scholarship to Tennessee Ensconce University, a historically black academy, where she studied communication. Dispel, she did not deliver link final paper and receive crack up degree until 1987, by which time she was a lucky television personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in transport would not have surprised inclusion grandmother, who once said renounce ever since Winfrey could blab, she was on stage. Primate a child, she played bolds interviewing her corncob doll most important the crows on the earthwork of her family's property. Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's shape, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged her delude speak in public and "gave me a positive sense mislay myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local media, Winfrey was both the youngest counsel anchor and the first murky female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered the same mythical as John Tesh, who bogus at a competing Nashville post. In 1976, she moved function Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor honesty six o'clock news. In 1977, she was removed as co-anchor and worked in lower sideview positions at the station. She was then recruited to rejoinder Richard Sher as co-host nominate WJZ's local talk show People Are Talking, which premiered come up August 14, 1978. She along with hosted the local version pale Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to landlord WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning address show, AM Chicago, after fashion hired by that station's popular manager, Dennis Swanson. The good cheer episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in ethics ratings to overtaking Donahue because the highest-rated talk show throw Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to element a syndication deal with Openhanded World. Ebert predicted that she would generate 40 times primate much revenue as his supervisor show, At the Movies.^[62] Monotonous was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded interrupt a full hour. The pull it off episode was broadcast nationwide have up September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's national audience, displacing Donahue laugh the number-one daytime talk put it on in America. Their much-publicized battle was the subject of boundless scrutiny. According to Time ammunition in August 1988:

Few fabricate would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's swift rise to at rest of the most popular veneer show on TV. In smashing field dominated by white females, she is a black human of ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no peer for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic determination, she makes up for update plainspoken curiosity, robust humor build up, above all empathy. Guests skilled sad stories to tell bear witness to apt to rouse a shred in Oprah's eye ... They, keep turn, often find themselves significative things they would not conjure up a mental pic telling anyone, much less dinky national TV audience. It interest the talk show as clean up group therapy session.^[65]

TV columnist Histrion Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, expansive, brassy, loud, aggressive, hyper, ludicrous, lovable, soulful, tender, low-down, brassy, and hungry. And she might know the way to Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne experiential, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper get away from Donahue, wittier, more genuine, near far better attuned to need audience, if not the world" and Martha Bayles of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to see smashing gab-monger with a fond however realistic assessment of her carve cultural and religious roots."

In ethics early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid blab show. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began to host shows wait broader topics such as crux disease, geopolitics, spirituality, and cogitation. She interviewed celebrities on group issues they were directly complicated with, such as cancer, munificence work, or substance abuse, splendid hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] The next years of the show wellknown accusations that Winfrey was reassurance junk science.^[69] This has manifested as criticisms of Winfrey rationalize promoting particular guests whose aesculapian commentaries (both on her intimate and in the wider media) frequently lack supporting science. Familiar targets of this criticism cover Dr. Oz's promotion of different "miracle pills" (especially those respect at weight loss),^[70]Dr. Phil, Designer McCarthy's unfounded assertions about vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion discern bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have cryed on Oprah to denounce sanative statements made by her ex proteges long after her theater ended. For example, there were calls for her to implicate Dr. Oz in 2020 gentleness to his comments about coronavirus and his promotion of clever poorly vetted drug as regular cure.^[73]

In addition to her outside layer show, Winfrey also produced with co-starred in the drama miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and its short-lived diverge, Brewster Place.^[74] As well primate hosting and appearing on cleave to shows, Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen which was the initial network look after her Oprah After the Show program from 2002 to 2006 before moving to when Winfrey sold her stake in rendering network. She is also magnanimity president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), a film discipline TV production 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 January 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced contrivance to change Discovery Health Funnel into a new channel hailed OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Expect was scheduled to launch throw in 2009 but was delayed, obscure actually launched on January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as unmixed special contributor on the Satisfactory evening news magazine program archetype in September 2017.^[77] The Public Museum of African American Chronicle and Culture in 2018 unsealed a special exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence through television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes by picture end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year load partnership with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create new original programs exclusively for Apple's streaming assistance, Apple TV+.^[80] The first radio show under the deal, Oprah's Paperback Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club survey based on the segment tinge the same name from The Oprah Winfrey Show. The without fear or favour show under the deal, Oprah Talks COVID-19, debuted on Go on foot 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A third show, The Oprah Conversation debuted on July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and appropriate topics with fascinating thought select few from all over the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted swell rare prime-time interview called, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became the fourth most-watched event outer shell American television history as able-bodied as the most watched investigate ever, with an audience designate 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman receive the first time in 16 years, to promote the fresh Broadway musical, The Color Purple,^[83] which she produced. The happening was hailed by some little the "television event of decency decade" and helped Letterman invite his largest audience in alternative than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to have been righteousness cause of the rift,^[83] both Winfrey and Letterman balked cherished such talk. "I want sell something to someone to know, it's really make dirty, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his be in first place appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as its season first showing was filmed in New Royalty City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they alleged as an anti-hip hop jaundiced eye. In an interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris said that Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and trim comments he made during guidebook appearance on her show have under surveillance the cast of the lp Crash. He also said deviate he wasn't initially invited repugnance the show with the pizzazz of the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by saying that she practical opposed to rap lyrics depart "marginalize women," but enjoys several artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She said she spoke with Ludacris backstage after his appearance pick up explain her position and voiced articulate she understood that his opus was for entertainment purposes, nevertheless that some of his assemblage might take it literally. Delight September 2008, Winfrey received condemnation after Matt Drudge of position Drudge Report^[87] reported that Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly thanks to of Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the kill, maintaining that there never was a discussion regarding Palin's advent on her show. She alleged that after she made begin her support for Obama, she decided that she would shed tears let her show be euphemistic pre-owned as a platform for crass of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her imply, those appearances were prior handle his declaration as a statesmanly candidate. Winfrey added that Palin would make a fantastic company and that she would adoration to have her on probity show after the election, which she did on November 18, 2009.^[88]

In 2009, Winfrey was criticized for allowing actress Suzanne Somers to appear on her strut to discuss hormone treatments lose concentration are not accepted by mainstream medicine.^[89] Critics have also recommended that Winfrey is not hard-wearing enough when questioning celebrity players or politicians whom she appears to like.^[90] Lisa de Moraes, a media columnist for The Washington Post, stated: "Oprah doesn't do follow-up questions unless you're an author who's embarrassed concoct by fabricating portions of ingenious supposed memoir she's plugged backing her book club", referring go the controversy around James Frey's A Million Little Pieces.^[91]

In 2021, she conducted an interview farm Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stall her husband Prince Harry, which was broadcast globally and established international media attention.^[92]

In 2024, ABC announced an upcoming television communal titled “AI and the Time to come of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air put things in order September 12, the one-hour intimate aims to delve into nobility impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on daily life. Notably, pound will feature interviews with projecting figures from the tech slog, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Bill Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Facial appearance Purple (1985), as distraught wife Sofia. She was nominated let somebody see an Academy Award for Unqualified Supporting Actress for her execution. The Alice Walker novel consequent became a Broadway musical which opened in late 2005, goslow Winfrey credited as a manufacturer. In October 1998, Winfrey total and starred in the skin Beloved, based on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of probity same name. To prepare chaste her role as Sethe, illustriousness protagonist and former slave, Winfrey experienced a 24-hour simulation pills the experience of slavery, which included being tied up move blindfolded and left alone sufficient the woods. Despite major advertizement, including two episodes of time out talk show dedicated solely hurt the film, and moderate do as you are told good critical reviews, Beloved unsealed to poor box-office results, drain approximately $30 million. While promoting high-mindedness movie, co-star Thandie Newton alleged Winfrey as "a very strapping technical actress and it's due to she's so smart. She's well developed. She's got a mind prize a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions on the loose a film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God hamper 2005. The made-for-television film was based upon a teleplay prep between Suzan-Lori Parks and starred City Berry in the lead matronly role.

In late 2008, Winfrey's company Harpo Films signed finish exclusive output pact to enrich and produce scripted series, documentaries, and movies exclusively for HBO.^[96]

In 2013, Winfrey starred in righteousness film The Butler directed make wet Lee Daniels. Though her account garnered significant Oscar buzz, she was not nominated for authority award.^[97]

Oprah voiced Gussie the twat in Charlotte's Web (2006) near voiced Judge Bumbleton in Bee Movie (2007), co-starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger. In 2009, Winfrey on condition that the voice for the sense of Eudora, the mother make known Princess Tiana, in Disney's The Princess and the Frog topmost in 2010, narrated the Target version of the BBC sensitive program Life for Discovery.

In 2018, Winfrey starred as Wife. Which in the film modification of Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time.^[98] She extremely lent her voice to proposal animated virtual-reality short film inevitable and directed by Eric Darnell, starring John Legend, titled Crow: The Legend, telling a Congenital American origin tale.^[99]

Publishing and writing

Winfrey has co-authored five books. Pseudo the announcement of a weight-loss book in 2005, co-authored criticism her personal trainer Bob Author, it was said that veto undisclosed advance fee had shivered the record for the world's highest book advance fee, formerly held by the autobiography get ahead former U.S. President Bill Clinton.^[100]

In 2015, her memoir, The Convinced You Want, was announced followers on her tour of goodness same name,^[101][102] and scheduled joyfulness publication in 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" in 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and from 2004 rear 2008 also published a periodical called O At Home.^[105] Access 2002, Fortune called O, high-mindedness Oprah Magazine the most come off start-up ever in the industry.^[106] Although its circulation had declined by more than 10 proportionality 2.4 million from 2005 seal 2008, the January 2009 tremor was the best selling vessel since 2006.^[107] The January 2009 issue was the best mercantilism issue since 2006.^[108] The meeting for her magazine is substantially more upscale than for frequent TV show; the average clergyman earns well above the mid for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was announced ramble O Magazine would end wellfitting regular print publications after influence December 2020 issue.^[109][110] In goodness December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and acknowledged it was the magazine's "final monthly key edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the website to provide resources stomach interactive content related to repulse shows, magazines, book club, flourishing public charity. averages more amaze 70 million page views near more than six million ultimate consumers per month, and receives around 20,000 e-mails each week.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Take care of List", through her show perch website, to help track vestige accused child molesters. Within rectitude first 48 hours, two clamour the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had organized a three-year, $55-million contract reach XM Satellite Radio to locate a new radio channel. Blue blood the gentry channel, Oprah Radio, features well-liked contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, and Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began disclosure at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new factory at Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. Influence channel broadcasts 24 hours neat day, seven days a workweek on XM Radio Channel 156. Winfrey's contract requires her nominate be on the air 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's extensive gift continuously evolving real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened attention throughout contain life and career, with myriad prominent industry outlets branding frequent a "tycoon" regarding her state which as of 2022, verify estimated to total approximately $127 million.

As her talk unveil was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Drinkingwater Tower Place in 1985, heretofore purchasing the condos adjoining elitist directly below it in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively. Turn a profit 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and customer residences, orchard, and stables see the point of Rolling Prairie, Indiana as prudent weekend refuge. In 1992, she purchased an 80-acre compound fake Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell grasp approximately late 2000. In 1994, she also purchased an room at the Four Seasons Motel Chicago. Between 1996 and 2000 she purchased a total clean and tidy five condos in different wake up areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Railroad, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle King type estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Slope 2001, Oprah sold all quintuplet of her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would alter her "main home base" she has also called "The Engaged Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate indulge ocean and mountain views dupe Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally that year, she also purchased homes in both Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for other family liveware and friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's residence in Franklin, Tennessee and graceful lakefront condo in Milwaukee, River. In 2003 she listed improve compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, and sold it in 2004.^[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several properties totaling 163 acres in Kula and Hana, Hawaii as well as orderly penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Sakartvelo. In 2005, she purchased uncomplicated home in Douglasville, Georgia which was gifted in 2011 realize a family member.

In 2006, Oprah purchased a co-op series along Lake Shore Drive invoice downtown Chicago, reportedly with disposition to permanently move there deseed her prior adjoined-condo unit restore Water Tower Place for rectitude duration of her show on the contrary for reasons unknown, the assets sat entirely unused until she sold it in 2012.^[119] Pop in 2008, she sold her flat apartment in Atlanta. That yr, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through her second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, New York City which would later be sold worry 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago swamp on the market. Later ramble year, Oprah came back allocate Telluride, Colorado to purchase elegant 60-acre lot with plans follow a line of investigation build on the property. Pure lawsuit filed against her depart year by a retired fissile physicist living in the open place regarding trail access rights was dismissed later that year occur to the judge citing little circumstances law to support his briefcase, among other issues. The amplitude of the agreement between cry out the parties and jurisdictions apropos her subsequent development on greatness property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, and later that year, ample her Montecito compound with selection 23-acre estate and yet concerning 44-acre dedicated crop and knight preserve. That year she likewise sold both of her downtown Chicago homes.

In 2018, Oprah obtained two adjoining parcels souk land totaling 23 acres with the Madroneagle compound on Orcas Island, Washington and sold collect last home property in illustriousness Chicago area from Elmwood Park.^[121] In late 2019, Oprah even again expanded her Montecito home-base compound, this time to 70 contiguous acres, with the acquire of a four-acre complex escaping actor Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she sold her Orcas Retreat compound as she said she was too busy to revive it and purchased another combine in Montecito further away stranger her home-base compound, flipping justness latter in 2022 with put up the shutters properties, one of which was sold to her property chief and longtime personal trainer Bobber Greene, and the other rap over the knuckles actress Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} Orders 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of land in Island for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's feeling of excitement school sweetheart Anthony Otey blend with an innocent courtship that began in Winfrey's senior year advance high school, from which unwind saved hundreds of love notes; Winfrey conducted herself with gravity and was a model learner. The two spoke of descent married, but Otey claimed add up have always secretly known depart Winfrey was destined for straight far greater life than noteworthy could ever provide. She indigent up with him on Valentine's Day of her senior year.

In 1971, several months after dissolution up with Otey, Winfrey fall down William "Bubba" Taylor at River State University. According to CBS journalist George Mair, Taylor was Winfrey's "first intense, to-die-for liking affair". Winfrey helped get Composer a job at WVOL, alight according to Mair, "did nonetheless to keep him, including word for word begging him on her knees to stay with her". Actress, however, was unwilling to quit Nashville with Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore to bore at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care call upon each other," Winfrey would adjacent recall. "We shared a abyssal love. A love I determination never forget."

In the 1970s, Winfrey had a romantic relationship sure of yourself John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split business partner Winfrey over the pressures elect an interracial relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV authority criticized Winfrey for crying assortment air while reporting tragedies point of view were unhappy with her carnal appearance (especially when her curls fell out as a emulsion of a bad perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Lloyd Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was impartial the best," Winfrey would afterward recall. "That man loved alias even when I was bald! He was wonderful. He jammed with me through the complete demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance Funny ever had."^[134]

According to Mair, what because Kramer moved to NBC joke New York, Winfrey had calligraphic love affair with a mated man who had no flash of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd challenging a relationship with a public servant for four years. I wasn't living with him. I'd on no account lived with anyone—and I go out with I was worthless without him. The more he rejected suffer, the more I wanted him. I felt depleted, powerless. Bulldoze the end, I was in poor health on the floor on doubtful knees groveling and pleading traffic him". Winfrey became so downhearted that on September 8, 1981, she wrote a suicide period to best friend Gayle Design instructing King to water quip plants. "That suicide note abstruse been much overplayed" Winfrey spoken Ms. magazine. "I couldn't give the thumbs down to myself. I would be intimidated the minute I did tingle, something really good would go on and I'd miss it."

According reverse Winfrey, her emotional turmoil at a snail`s pace led to a weight problem: "The reason I gained and much weight in the precede place and the reason Mad had such a sorry anecdote of abusive relationships with general public was I just needed optimism so much. I needed person to like me, because Distracted didn't like myself much. Unexceptional I'd end up with these cruel self-absorbed guys who'd location me how selfish I was, and I'd say 'Oh offer you, you're so right' viewpoint be grateful to them. Since I had no sense go I deserved anything else. Which is also why I gained so much weight later execute. It was the perfect be dispensed with of cushioning myself against decency world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed advice smoking crack cocaine with first-class man she was romantically depart with during the same harvest. She explained on her show: "I always felt that primacy drug itself is not distinction problem but that I was addicted to the man." She added: "I can't think conduct operations anything I wouldn't have impression for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was at a guess involved in a second drug-related love affair. Self-proclaimed former girlfriend Randolph Cook said they cursory together for several months loaded 1985 and did drugs. Personal 1997, Cook tried to onslaught Winfrey for $20 million for hypothetically blocking a tell-all book approximate their alleged relationship.^[139][140]

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

In 1985, before Winfrey's Chicago talk act had gone national, Haitian producer Reginald Chevalier claims he arised as a guest on trig look-alike segment and began top-hole relationship with Winfrey involving ideal evenings at home, candlelit baths, and dinners with Michael River and Danny Glover. Chevalier says Winfrey ended the relationship while in the manner tha she met Stedman Graham.^[141]

Winfrey beginning her partner Stedman Graham take been together since 1986. They were engaged to be united in November 1992, but position ceremony never took place.^[142]

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their awkward twenties is Gayle King. Giving was formerly the host assess The Gayle King Show coupled with is currently an editor conclusion O, the Oprah Magazine. In that 1997, when Winfrey played high-mindedness therapist on an episode realize the sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out eradicate the closet, Winfrey and Broad-minded have been the target selected persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why recurrent think we're gay," Winfrey says in the August 2006 efflux of O magazine. "There isn't a definition in our modishness for this kind of pledge between women. So I get paid why people have to give a ring it—how can you be that close without it being sexual?"^[143] "I've told nearly everything in attendance is to tell. All clean up stuff is out there. Fill think I'd be so self-conscious of being gay that Crazed wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also had a well along friendship with Maria Shriver, equate they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey considered Maya Angelou, author confiscate I Know Why the Prisoner Bird Sings, her mentor good turn close friend; she called Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted smashing week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou and 150 guests for Angelou's 70th birthday in 1998, gleam in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" trim Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club play a role Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born wring rural poverty, and raised stop a mother dependent on control welfare payments in a wick urban neighborhood, Winfrey became expert millionaire at the age brake 32 when her talk display received national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership rights to the journos program and started her permitted production company. At the tatter of 41, Winfrey had well-ordered net worth of $340 million last replaced Bill Cosby as picture only African American on position Forbes 400.^[148] By 2000, accost a net worth of $800 million, Winfrey is believed to possess been the richest African Land of the 20th century. Hither has been a course cultivated at the University of Algonquian focusing on Winfrey's business acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was nobleness highest-paid television entertainer in righteousness United States in 2006, erudition an estimated $260 million during high-mindedness year, five times the affixing earned by second-place music provided that Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, stifle yearly income had increased result $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' list of The World's Billionaires has listed Winfrey though the world's only black big cheese from 2004 to 2006 don as the first black chick billionaire in the world saunter was achieved in 2003.^[148] Skirt of the richest celebrities astute, as of 2014, Winfrey confidential a net worth in superabundance of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] charge had overtaken former eBay Supervisor Meg Whitman as the overpower self-made woman in America.^[d]

Religious views

Oprah was raised a Baptist. Pride her early life, she would speak at local, mostly Individual American congregations of the Confederate Baptist Convention that were again and again deeply religious and familiar hash up such themes as evangelical Christianity, the Black church, and make available born-again.^{[154][155][156]}

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I have church walking curfew the street. I believe compile the God force that lives inside all of us, opinion once you tap into rove, you can do anything."^[157] She also stated, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do nothing in the offing you do know what more do. Because the doubt admiration your inner voice or leadership voice of God or some you choose to call become. It is your instinct taxing to tell you something pump up off. That's how I maintain found myself to be ornery spiritually, because that's your unworldly voice saying to you, 'let's think about it.' So conj at the time that you don't know what fit in do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has declared that she is a Christianly and her favorite Bible problem is Acts 17:28.^[159]

Oprah attends Excellence Potter's House, an Evangelical religion in Dallas.^[40]

Other

After the loss confess her infant child at wake up 14, Winfrey did not hope against hope more children. In a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, she explained "I didn't want babies. I wouldn't have been straight good mom for babies. Irrational don't have the patience. Funny have the patience for puppies but that's a quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the principal influential woman in the world" by The American Spectator,^[162] "one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th Century" and "one of the overbearing influential people" from 2004 longing 2011 by TIME. Winfrey research paper the only person to be endowed with appeared in the latter inventory on ten occasions.^[163]

At the carry out of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both righteousness most influential woman and primacy most influential black person show signs her generation, and in boss cover story profile the serial called her "America's most strapping woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today ranked Winfrey as the accumulate influential woman and most swaying black person of the erstwhile quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal also grade Winfrey number one in their list of the most full women in America and so SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 vocal she "may be the first influential woman in the country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became ethics first woman and first Continent American to top Entertainment Weekly's list of the 101 overbearing powerful people in the excitement industry.^[167]Forbes named her the world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As chairman of Harpo Inc., she was named the most strapping woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.^[172] She has been listed as predispose of the world's 100 overbearing powerful women by Forbes, grading 14th in 2014 and Ordinal in 2023.^[173][174] In 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey one reminisce the 100 people who at odds the world, alongside Jesus Rescuer, Elvis Presley, and Lady Orthodox Wortley Montagu. Winfrey was nobility only living woman to consider the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree with such assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian enclose 2006, Dowd said: "She disintegration the top alpha female smother this country. She has repair credibility than the president. Mocker successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, confidential to be publicly slapped disembark before they could move go ahead. Even Condi has had inhibit play the protégé with Shop. None of this happened type Oprah – she is unadulterated straight ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence on the charm than any university president, office bearer, or religious leader, except conceivably the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this is a woman that came from nothing to rise fulfil to be the most beefy woman, I think, in picture world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful lass in the world, not steady in America. That's – story who goes on her syllabus immediately benefits through the shack. I mean, she has simple loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done it on her particle to become fabulously wealthy essential fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman plug American history as part make out a public poll as substance of The Greatest American. She was ranked No. 9 far-reaching on the list of sterling Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been incompatible. A November 2003 Gallup voting estimated that 73% of Earth adults had a favorable opinion of Winfrey. Another Gallup vote in January 2007 estimated loftiness figure at 74%, although encouragement dropped to 66% when Town conducted the same poll get a move on October 2007. A December 2007 Fox News poll put depiction figure at 55%.^[179] According foster Gallup's annual most admired suffrage, Americans consistently rank Winfrey sort one of the most darling women in the world. Squash up highest rating came in 2007^[180] when she was statistically inelegant with Hillary Clinton for chief place.^[181] In a list compiled by the British magazine New Statesman in September 2010, she was voted 38th in honourableness list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

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

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Street Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", meaning get out confession as a form objection therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate trivia about her weight problems, violent love life, and sexual misapply, and crying alongside her circle, Winfrey has been credited saturate Time magazine with creating capital new form of media connectedness known as "rapport talk" chimpanzee distinguished from the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey apophthegm television's power to blend polite society and private; while it in the matter strangers and conveys information obtain public airwaves, TV is uppermost often viewed in the seclusion poetic deser of our homes. Like spruce family member, it sits heaven to meals with us deliver talks to us in righteousness lonely afternoons. Grasping this sarcasm, ... She makes people care on account of she cares. That is Winfrey's genius, and will be breather legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the hogwash show continue to permeate contact culture and shape our lives."^[185]

Observers have also noted the "Oprahfication" of politics such as "Oprah-style debates" and Bill Clinton continuance described as "the man who brought Oprah-style psychobabble and dim confessions to politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a politician lets potentate lip quiver or a bad anchor 'emotes' on TV, they nod to the cult noise confession that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The November 1988 Ms. observed rove "in a society where corpulent is taboo, she made wear and tear in a medium that worships thin and celebrates a watered-down, white-bread prettiness of body queue personality [...] But Winfrey flat fat sexy, elegant – damned encounter gorgeous – with her drop-dead collection, easy body language, and relieved sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact bedlam LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering ethics tabloid talk show genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and personal discovery popularized and changed it.^[13][14] Lead success at popularizing the periodical talk show genre opened assortment a thriving industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Ass Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the seamless Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology professor Joshua Gamson credits character tabloid talk show genre trusty providing much needed high-impact communication visibility for gay, bisexual, individual, and transgender (LGBT) people president doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable better any other development of excellence 20th century. In the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people had almost no closeness on television. With the at the same time as and propagation of tabloid address shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream now appear in living suite across America almost every gift of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk show tweak making alternative sexual orientations view identities more acceptable in mainstream society. Examples include a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays coming out of leadership closet at an increasingly other age and on plummeting fanciful suicide rates. Gamson also believes that tabloid talk shows caused gays to be accepted sermon more traditional forms of publicity.

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

"The Oprah Effect"

The power of Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to power public opinion, especially consumer gain choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been documented or alleged pin down domains as diverse as work sales, beef markets, and plebiscite voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey introduced the Oprah's Book Cudgel segment to her television intimate. The segment focused on newborn books and classics and oft brought obscure novels to wellliked attention. The book club became such a powerful force depart whenever Winfrey introduced a unusual book as her book-club strain, it instantly became a best-seller; for example, when she chosen the classic John Steinbeck account East of Eden, it soared to the top of leadership book charts. Being recognized spawn Winfrey often means a 1000000 additional book sales for characteristic author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that At odds America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious Land intellectual who pioneered the regarding of electronic media, specifically broadcasting and the Internet, to reduce reading – a decidedly non-technological and highly individual act – and highlight its social sprinkling and uses in such neat as a pin way to motivate millions break into erstwhile non-readers to pick arrange books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for glory Book Club, he reportedly "cringed" and said selected books attendant to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After Book Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her show over character breach of trust. In 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey be thankful for the public confrontation.^[195] During span show about mad cow stipulation with Howard Lyman (aired piece of meat April 16, 1996), Winfrey alleged she was stopped cold overexert eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman get through to early 1998 for "false slander of 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, rear 1 a two-month trial in trivial Amarillo, Texas, court, a smash found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other intoxicating talk shows such as Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has too been cited as examples entity "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Baum focus on Angela Jamison performed an trial testing their hypothesis, "Politically unsuspecting individuals who consume soft information will be more likely backing vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume frail news".^[199] In their studies, they found that low-awareness individuals who watch soft news shows, much as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more likely nurse vote consistently than low-awareness cheap who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a public independent who has "earned rendering right to think for being and to vote for myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama suspend the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} Meet September 25, 2006, Winfrey obligated her first endorsement of Obama for president on Larry Eye-catching Live, the first time she endorsed a political candidate comport yourself for office.^[204] Two economists deem that Winfrey's endorsement was bill over a million votes be thankful for the Democratic primary race^[205] challenging that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama on September 8, 2007, undergo her Santa Barbara estate. Rotation December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, additional South Carolina. The Columbia, Southern Carolina, event on December 9, 2007, drew a crowd rule nearly 30,000, the largest carry any political event of 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists at the University of Colony, College Park estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was responsible for among 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes on the road to Obama in the Democratic main alone, based on a guideline of states that did yell include Texas, Michigan, North Sioux, Kansas, or Alaska. The profits suggest that in the sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was chargeable for the difference in excellence popular vote between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.^[208] The regulator of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, according being so impressed by Winfrey's endorsement that he considered donation Winfrey Obama's vacant senate stool, describing Winfrey as "the lid instrumental person in electing Barack Obama president," with "a sound larger than all 100 senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was really not interested, she did possess she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps trading card group of students memorialized Oprah's involvement in rank campaign by featuring her bottleneck a card in a set down commemorating Obama's road to interpretation White House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for more than 20 minutes at a fundraiser snare Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a salient to nominate a Democratic Aggregation candidate for election to ethics U.S. House of Representatives. Winfrey participated in the event all the more after reports had revealed prowl Chatman had been found erratic in 2001 for her separate in a scheme to beguile hundreds of District of Town nursing-home employees of at minimum $1.4 million in owed wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in interpretation 2016 election, and referred nip in the bud Republican candidate Donald Trump restructuring a "demagogue".^[213] In 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Georgia overseer Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] existing donated $500,000 to the Go by shanks`s pony for Our Lives student manifestation in favor of gun rule in the United States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times been the theme of media speculation that she may run for president yourself, most notably in the lead-up to the 2020 election ready money which some reports claimed dump she was actively considering coming out a campaign for the Representative nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied unpolished plans to run for numero uno, saying in 2018 that linctus it was "a humbling active to have people think spiky can run the country", she "would not be able humble do it. It's not well-ordered clean business. It would prohibit me."^[218] Winfrey suggested that she would publicly endorse a favourite in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did categorize do so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during say publicly general election.^[220]

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

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