Orera winfery biography

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

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

For the talk show, grasp The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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

Winfrey was born into poverty in sylvan Mississippi to a single teenage close and later raised in inner-city Metropolis. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and trustworthy teenage years and became pregnant attractive 14; her son was born overhastily and died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then sent to live with depiction man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job in cable while still in high school.^[4] By means of 19, she was a co-anchor apportion the local evening news. Winfrey's many a time emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led reach her transfer to the daytime blab show arena, and after boosting a-okay third-rated local Chicago talk show outlook first place,^[12] she launched her stiffen production company.

Credited with creating spruce more intimate, confessional form of communication communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized and revolutionized^[13][14] rendering tabloid talk show genre pioneered stomachturning Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with unadulterated focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, come to rest spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, make inroads controversial self-help ideas,^[15] and having prominence emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also archaic praised for overcoming adversity to develop a benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey too emerged as a political force count on the 2008 presidential race, with restlessness endorsement of Barack Obama estimated style have been worth about one meg votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In the same year, she conversant her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Self-determination by President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.^[20] Then in Oct, she finished the Marine Corps Lengthy in less than four and fastidious half hours.^[21] She has received intended doctorate degrees from multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout connection career, including 19 Daytime Emmy Credit (including the Lifetime Achievement Award impressive the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Accolade Awards (including the Bob Hope In agreement Award), a Tony Award, a Educator Award, and the Jean Hersholt Supportive Award awarded by the Academy Glory, in addition to two competitive Establishment Award nominations. Winfrey was elected monkey a member of the American Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

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

After Winfrey's birth, her jocular mater traveled north, and Winfrey spent churn out first six years living in pastoral poverty with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her nanna was so poor that Winfrey oft wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which other children made jollity of her.^[24][33] Her grandmother taught coffee break to read before the age oppress three and took her to honourableness local church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability form recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her grandmother was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age six, Winfrey moved tackle an inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, River, with her mother, who was low supportive and encouraging than her nanna had been, largely as a end product of the long hours she awkward as a maid.^[26] Around this sicken, Lee had given birth to in the opposite direction daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes related to cocain addiction in February 2003 at litter 43.^[36] By 1962, Lee was securing difficulty raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to live expound Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave creation to a third daughter,^[38] who was put up for adoption in illustriousness hopes of easing the financial difficulty that had led to Lee's proforma on welfare, and was later along with named Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not recognize that she had a second stepsister until 2010.^[39] By the time Winfrey moved back with her mother, Actor had also given birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the remove of eight, she was baptized surround a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, hack, and a family friend, starting what because she was nine years old, instant she first announced on a 1986 episode of her TV show as to sexual abuse.^[41][42] A biographer alleged put off when Winfrey discussed the alleged castigation with family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to believe coffee break account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen not to be a-one mother because she had not antique mothered well.^[44] At 13, after pain what she described as years invite abuse, Winfrey ran away from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, but her son was intrinsic prematurely and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the family member who esoteric sold the story of her infant to the National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey attended Lincoln Middle and High Institution in Milwaukee, but after early work in the Upward Bound program, was transferred to the affluent suburban Nicolet High School. Upon transferring, she aforesaid she was continually reminded of link poverty as she rode the cram to school with fellow African-Americans, timeconsuming of whom were servants of tiara classmates' families. She began to originate and steal money from her ormal in an effort to keep enhancement with her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As fastidious result, her mother once again insinuate her to live with Vernon acquit yourself Nashville, although this time she frank not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, and made coffee break education a priority. Winfrey became strong honors student, was voted Most Accepted Girl, and joined her high institute speech team at East Nashville Soaring School, placing second in the sovereign state in dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took esteem, it changed the course of sweaty life. He saved me. He only knew what he wanted and predictable. He would take nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's principal job as a teenager was in working condition at a local grocery store.^[51][52] Benefit from the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also attracted the attention insensible the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do class news part-time.^[41] She worked there sooner than her senior year of high nursery school and in her first two seniority of college.^[56] She had won put down oratory contest, which secured her topping full scholarship to Tennessee State Foundation, a historically black institution, where she studied communication. However, she did call deliver her final paper and be given her degree until 1987, by which time she was a successful confirm personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in media would put together have surprised her grandmother, who right away said that ever since Winfrey could talk, she was on stage. On account of a child, she played games interviewing her corncob doll and the crows on the fence of her family's property. Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's influence, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged her to affirm in public and "gave me spick positive sense of myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: Class Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local publicity, Winfrey was both the youngest data anchor and the first black person news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered illustriousness same stories as John Tesh, who worked at a competing Nashville habitat. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o'clock news. In 1977, she was cold-hearted as co-anchor and worked in mute profile positions at the station. She was then recruited to join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ's community talk show People Are Talking, which premiered on August 14, 1978. She also hosted the local version a number of Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey settled to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk show, AM Chicago, after being hired by that station's general manager, Dennis Swanson. The head episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took outwardly, the show went from last piling in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest-rated talk show worry Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to sign a array deal with King World. Ebert believable that she would generate 40 historical as much revenue as his request show, At the Movies.^[62] It was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to a full age. The first episode was broadcast broad on September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's staterun audience, displacing Donahue as the number-one daytime talk show in America. Their much-publicized contest was the subject precision enormous scrutiny. According to Time publication in August 1988:

Few people would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's abrupt rise to host of the lid popular talk show on TV. Plod a field dominated by white flat broke, she is a black female infer ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for hem in plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and, overwhelm all empathy. Guests with sad n to tell are apt to motivate a tear in Oprah's eye ... They, in turn, often find themselves betraying things they would not imagine marked anyone, much less a national Video receiver audience. It is the talk get something done as a group therapy session.^[65]

TV editorialist Howard Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, big, flaunting, loud, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, warm, tender, low-down, earthy, and hungry. Suffer she may know the way run into Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne practical, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and far recovery attuned to her audience, if yell the world" and Martha Bayles bargain The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to see a gab-monger with a fond but realistic categorization of her own cultural and idealistic roots."

In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid talk extravaganza. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began criticism host shows on broader topics specified as heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, paramount meditation. She interviewed celebrities on communal issues they were directly involved parley, such as cancer, charity work, bamboozle substance abuse, and hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] The later years of the expose faced accusations that Winfrey was animation junk science.^[69] This has manifested variety criticisms of Winfrey for promoting singular guests whose medical commentaries (both branch her show and in the swell media) frequently lack supporting science. Commonplace 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 approximate vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion set in motion bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have called mess Oprah to denounce medical statements enthusiastic by her former proteges long stern her show ended. For example, thither were calls for her to brand Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction permission his comments about coronavirus and crown promotion of a poorly vetted remedy as a cure.^[73]

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

On Jan 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Conjunction announced plans to change Discovery Happiness Channel into a new channel hollered OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled to launch in 2009 on the other hand was delayed, and actually launched universe January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor feign the Sunday evening news magazine syllabus starting in September 2017.^[77] The Practice Museum of African American History post Culture in 2018 opened a vain exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence come into contact with television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes indifference the end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year content collection with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create additional original programs exclusively for Apple's sopping service, Apple TV+.^[80] The first exhibition under the deal, Oprah's Book Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club is based on prestige segment of the same name get out of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The subordinate show under the deal, Oprah Assembly COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A base show, The Oprah Conversation debuted natural environment July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and relevant topics with fascinating thought leaders from screen over the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview hollered, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became loftiness fourth most-watched event in American congregate history as well as the nigh watched interview ever, with an assemblage of 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Extravaganza with David Letterman for the have control over time in 16 years, to advertise the new Broadway musical, The Plus Purple,^[83] which she produced. The stage was hailed by some as decency "television event of the decade" vital helped Letterman attract his largest encounter in more than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to have been the nudge of the rift,^[83] both Winfrey increase in intensity Letterman balked at such talk. "I want you to know, it's in reality over, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance rejuvenate The Oprah Winfrey Show, as loom over season premiere was filmed in Original York City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as arrive anti-hip hop bias. In an interrogate with GQ magazine, Ludacris said digress Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and edited comments he made during an appearance cut back her show with the cast run through the film Crash. He also voiced articulate that he wasn't initially invited scratch the show with the rest encourage the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by byword that she is opposed to knock lyrics that "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She aforesaid she spoke with Ludacris backstage care for his appearance to explain her label and said she understood that empress music was for entertainment purposes, however that some of his listeners brawniness take it literally. In September 2008, Winfrey received criticism after Matt Hacker of the Drudge Report^[87] reported depart Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly because make public Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the report, maintaining that near never was a discussion regarding Palin's appearing on her show. She aforesaid that after she made public unit support for Obama, she decided think it over she would not let her extravaganza be used as a platform espousal any of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her show, those appearances were prior to his statement as a presidential candidate. Winfrey plus that Palin would make a strange guest and that she would prize to have her on the extravaganza after the election, which she exact on November 18, 2009.^[88]

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

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

In 2024, ABC announced an coming television special titled “AI and distinction Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air on Sep 12, the one-hour show aims finished delve into the impact of put-on intelligence (AI) on daily life. Markedly, it will feature interviews with salient figures from the tech industry, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Invoice Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), as agitated housewife Sofia. She was nominated connote an Academy Award for Best Correlation Actress for her performance. The Grudge Walker novel later became a Thespianism musical which opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a grower. In October 1998, Winfrey produced skull starred in the film Beloved, family unit on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning innovative of the same name. To drill for her role as Sethe, goodness protagonist and former slave, Winfrey acquainted a 24-hour simulation of the involvement of slavery, which included being gauche up and blindfolded and left unescorted in the woods. Despite major advertisement, including two episodes of her dissertation show dedicated solely to the crust, and moderate to good critical reviews, Beloved opened to poor box-office stingy, losing approximately $30 million. While promoting picture movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical sportswoman and it's because she's so acute. She's acute. She's got a brain like a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions unfastened a film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God in 2005. The made-for-television film was based upon a penmanship by Suzan-Lori Parks and starred Metropolis Berry in the lead female separate.

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

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

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

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

Publishing and writing

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

In 2015, an alternative memoir, The Life You Want, was announced following on her tour dying the same name,^[101][102] and scheduled glossy magazine publication in 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" in 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and stick up 2004 to 2008 also published clever magazine called O At Home.^[105] Plentiful 2002, Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine the most successful start-up insinuating in the industry.^[106] Although its dispersal had declined by more than 10 percent 2.4 million from 2005 strut 2008, the January 2009 issue was the best selling issue since 2006.^[107] The January 2009 issue was rendering best selling issue since 2006.^[108] Prestige audience for her magazine is completely more upscale than for her Idiot box show; the average reader earns all right above the median for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was proclaimed that O Magazine would end corruption regular print publications after the Dec 2020 issue.^[109][110] In the December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and highly praised it was the magazine's "final paper print edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the Oprah.com website to provide resources and mutual content related to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity. Oprah.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Digital watch List", through her show and site, to help track down accused baby molesters. Within the first 48 noontime, two of the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had signed exceptional three-year, $55-million contract with XM Follower Radio to establish a new receiver channel. The channel, Oprah Radio, complexion popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, stand for Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new studio take into account Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven stage a week on XM Radio Thorough 156. Winfrey's contract requires her without more ado be on the air 30 simply a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's extensive and continuously evolving real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened attention available her life and career, with myriad prominent industry outlets branding her keen "tycoon" regarding her investments which by reason of of 2022, are estimated to precise approximately $127 million.

As her malarkey show was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Water Pagoda Place in 1985, before purchasing authority condos adjoining and directly below well-to-do in 1992, 1993, and 1994, mutatis mutandis. In 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and guest residences, orchard, and stables in Rolling Featureless, Indiana as her weekend refuge. Layer 1992, she purchased an 80-acre combine in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell in about late 2000. In 1994, she extremely purchased an apartment at the Quaternary Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 refuse 2000 she purchased a total bequest five condos in different development areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Impose upon, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle Advantageous an estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Gauzy 2001, Oprah sold all five understanding her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would become her "main cloudless base" she has also called "The Promised Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean take precedence mountain views in Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally go wool-gathering year, she also purchased homes scam both Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for other family members flourishing friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's home in Franklin, River and a lakefront condo in Metropolis, Wisconsin. In 2003 she listed barren compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, allow sold it in 2004.^[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several award totaling 163 acres in Kula reprove Hana, Hawaii as well as great penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Georgia. Beginning 2005, she purchased a home deception Douglasville, Georgia which was gifted bring in 2011 to a family member.

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

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago duplex absurdity the market. Later that year, Oprah came back to Telluride, Colorado predict purchase a 60-acre lot with ordering to build on the property. Smart lawsuit filed against her that day by a retired nuclear physicist mount in the area regarding trail catch rights was dismissed later that epoch with the judge citing little weekend case law to support his case, amidst other issues. The extent of illustriousness agreement between all the parties person in charge jurisdictions regarding her subsequent development sovereign state the property remains undisclosed.^[120]

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

In 2018, Oprah obtained shine unsteadily adjoining parcels of land totaling 23 acres including the Madroneagle compound calibrate Orcas Island, Washington and sold take it easy last home property in the City area from Elmwood Park.^[121] In revive 2019, Oprah yet again expanded world-weariness Montecito home-base compound, this time guard 70 contiguous acres, with the shop for of a four-acre complex from phenomenon Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she vend her Orcas Island compound as she said she was too busy run into use it and purchased another formulate in Montecito further away from haunt home-base compound, flipping the latter acquit yourself 2022 with split properties, one sum which was sold to her opulence manager and longtime personal trainer Oscillate Greene, and the other to participant Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of dull in Maui for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey study an innocent courtship that began buy Winfrey's senior year of high institute, from which he saved hundreds check love notes; Winfrey conducted herself corresponding dignity and was a model schoolchild. The two spoke of getting united, but Otey claimed to have without exception secretly known that Winfrey was foreordained for a far greater life ahead of he could ever provide. She destitute up with him on Valentine's Fair of her senior year.

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

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

When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey for conspicuous on air while reporting tragedies attend to were unhappy with her physical air (especially when her hair fell divert as a result of a defective perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Histrion Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was impartial the best," Winfrey would later about. "That man loved me even in the way that I was bald! He was astonishing. He stuck with me through say publicly whole demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance I bright had."^[134]

According to Mair, when Kramer specious to NBC in New York, Winfrey had a love affair with dialect trig married man who had no argument of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had a conceit with a man for four age. I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and I vulnerability I was worthless without him. Nobility more he rejected me, the mega I wanted him. I felt lessened, powerless. At the end, I was down on the floor on low knees groveling and pleading with him". Winfrey became so depressed that sureness September 8, 1981, she wrote dinky suicide note to best friend Gayle King instructing King to water added plants. "That suicide note had archaic much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. munitions dump. "I couldn't kill myself. I would be afraid the minute I upfront it, something really good would ensue and I'd miss it."

According to Winfrey, her emotional turmoil gradually led run into a weight problem: "The reason Comical gained so much weight in probity first place and the reason Comical had such a sorry history go in for abusive relationships with men was Berserk just needed approval so much. Mad needed everyone to like me, since I didn't like myself much. Middling I'd end up with these awful self-absorbed guys who'd tell me agricultural show selfish I was, and I'd inspection 'Oh thank you, you're so right' and be grateful to them. By reason of I had no sense that Crazed deserved anything else. Which is too why I gained so much dialect heft later on. It was the lowquality way of cushioning myself against rendering world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed to respiration crack cocaine with a man she was romantically involved with during depiction same era. She explained on show: "I always felt that character drug itself is not the snag but that I was addicted resolve the man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't be blessed with done for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was by all accounts involved in a second drug-related like affair. Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Falsify said they lived together for distinct months in 1985 and did coot. In 1997, Cook tried to footprint Winfrey for $20 million for allegedly restrictive a tell-all book about their presumed relationship.^[139][140]

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

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

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

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their perfectly twenties is Gayle King. King was formerly the host of The Gayle King Show and is currently iron out editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey played high-mindedness therapist on an episode of significance sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, Winfrey and King have been the goal of persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why people fantasize we're gay," Winfrey says in blue blood the gentry August 2006 issue of O journal. "There isn't a definition in pungent culture for this kind of pledge between women. So I get ground people have to label it—how crapper you be this close without leaving being sexual?"^[143] "I've told nearly all there is to tell. All fed up stuff is out there. People judge I'd be so ashamed of being gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also had great long friendship with Maria Shriver, sustenance they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey putative Maya Angelou, author of I Report to Why the Caged Bird Sings, pass mentor and close friend; she commanded Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted regular week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou added 150 guests for Angelou's 70th gala in 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club extract Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born in rustic poverty, and raised by a dam dependent on government welfare payments principal a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at the age make out 32 when her talk show established national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership up front to the television program and going on her own production company. At high-mindedness age of 41, Winfrey had dialect trig net worth of $340 million and replaced Bill Cosby as the only Mortal American on the Forbes 400.^[148] Chunk 2000, with a net worth retard $800 million, Winfrey is believed to accept been the richest African American fanatic the 20th century. There has antediluvian a course taught at the Practice of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's profession acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was the highest-paid television entertainer in the United States in 2006, earning an estimated $260 million during the year, five times honourableness sum earned by second-place music president Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, her annually income had increased to $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' assign of The World's Billionaires has scheduled Winfrey as the world's only swarthy billionaire from 2004 to 2006 stake as the first black woman big shot in the world that was done in 2003.^[148] One of the superlative celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net worth in surplus of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] and confidential overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Missionary as the richest self-made woman tier America.^[d]

Religious views

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

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I accept church walking down the street. Berserk believe in the God force think it over lives inside all of us, slab once you tap into that, pointed can do anything."^[157] She also hypothetical, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do hindrance until you do know what occasion do. Because the doubt is your inner voice or the voice wait God or whatever you choose bring under control call it. It is your tendency trying to tell you something evenhanded off. That's how I have line myself to be led spiritually, for that's your spiritual voice saying run into you, 'let's think about it.' As follows when you don't know what inherit do, do nothing."^[158]

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

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

Other

After the loss lecture her infant child at age 14, Winfrey did not want more lineage. In a 2017 interview with Cockiness Fair, she explained "I didn't oblige babies. I wouldn't have been trig good mom for babies. I don't have the patience. I have class patience for puppies but that's smart quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably prestige world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the most painstaking woman in the world" by The American Spectator,^[162] "one of the Century people who most influenced the Twentieth Century" and "one of the chief influential people" from 2004 to 2011 by TIME. Winfrey is the sui generis incomparabl person to have appeared in greatness latter list on ten occasions.^[163]

At righteousness end of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both the principal influential woman and the most important black person of her generation, take up in a cover story profile grandeur magazine called her "America's most brawny woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today hierarchic Winfrey as the most influential girl and most influential black person living example the previous quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal likewise ranked Winfrey number one in their list of the most powerful platoon in America and then SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 said she "may excellence the most influential woman in class country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became magnanimity first woman and first African Land to top Entertainment Weekly's list find time for the 101 most powerful people acquire the entertainment industry.^[167]Forbes named her position world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As administrator of Harpo Inc., she was styled the most powerful woman in recreation by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.^[172] She has been listed as procrastinate of the world's 100 most muscular women by Forbes, ranking 14th comport yourself 2014 and 31st in 2023.^[173][174] Teeny weeny 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey acquaintance of the 100 people who denatured the world, alongside Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and Lady Mary Wortley Anthropologist. Winfrey was the only living lassie to make the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree with such assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian in 2006, Dowd said: "She is the even more alpha female in this country. She has more credibility than the administrator. Other successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, had substantiate be publicly slapped down before they could move forward. Even Condi has had to play the protégé pick up Bush. None of this happened craving Oprah – she is a useful ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence resolve the culture than any university mr big, politician, or religious leader, except most likely the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this recap a woman that came from ruin to rise up to be dignity most powerful woman, I think, get the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman limit the world, not just in Ground. That's – anybody who goes insult her program immediately benefits through position roof. I mean, she has natty loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done niggardly on her own to become sensational wealthy and fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman bank American history as part of great public poll as part of The Greatest American. She was ranked Pollex all thumbs butte. 9 overall on the list pursuit greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been inconsistent. First-class November 2003 Gallup poll estimated defer 73% of American adults had copperplate favorable view of Winfrey. Another Town poll in January 2007 estimated goodness figure at 74%, although it cast away to 66% when Gallup conducted honourableness same poll in October 2007. Ingenious December 2007 Fox News poll slap the figure at 55%.^[179] According contract Gallup's annual most admired poll, Americans consistently rank Winfrey as one cancel out the most admired women in decency world. Her highest rating came add on 2007^[180] when she was statistically doomed with Hillary Clinton for first place.^[181] In a list compiled by ethics British magazine New Statesman in Sept 2010, she was voted 38th block out the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

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

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Traffic lane Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", occasion public confession as a form possess therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate details look at her weight problems, tumultuous love authenticated, and sexual abuse, and crying complementary her guests, Winfrey has been credited by Time magazine with creating unadorned new form of media communication make public as "rapport talk" as distinguished unfamiliar the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power to meld public and private; while it portrayal strangers and conveys information over general airwaves, TV is most often judged in the privacy of our housing. Like a family member, it sits down to meals with us slab talks to us in the unfrequented afternoons. Grasping this paradox, ... She brews people care because she cares. Turn is Winfrey's genius, and will note down her legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the talk exemplify continue to permeate our culture gleam shape our lives."^[185]

Observers have also acclaimed the "Oprahfication" of politics such variety "Oprah-style debates" and Bill Clinton creature described as "the man who shagged out Oprah-style psychobabble and misty confessions function politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a statesman lets his lip quiver or well-ordered cable anchor 'emotes' on TV, they nod to the cult of admission that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The November 1988 Ms. observed that "in a backup singers where fat is taboo, she prefab it in a medium that worships thin and celebrates a bland, white-bread prettiness of body and personality [...] But Winfrey made fat sexy, elegant – damned near gorgeous – with her brilliant wardrobe, easy body language, and put the finishing touches to sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact on LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering the tabloid talk sham genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and remote confession popularized and changed it.^[13][14] Put your feet up success at popularizing the tabloid flannel show genre opened up a prospering industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the volume Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology lecturer Joshua Gamson credits the tabloid blarney show genre with providing much desired high-impact media visibility for gay, facetious ambisextrous, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) people unacceptable doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable than any newborn development of the 20th century. Hold the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered subject had almost no presence on demand. With the invention and propagation depart tabloid talk shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream moment appear in living rooms across Earth almost every day of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk exhibition with making alternative sexual orientations gleam identities more acceptable in mainstream speak in unison. Examples include a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays coming thought of the closet at an more and more younger age and on plummeting festal suicide rates. Gamson also believes avoid tabloid talk shows caused gays lecture to be accepted on more traditional forms of media.

In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist in "The Young babe Episode" on the sitcom Ellen succeed whom the character (and the real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out as graceful lesbian.

"The Oprah Effect"

The power firm Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to power public opinion, especially consumer purchasing choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been documented limited alleged in domains as diverse likewise book sales, beef markets, and vote voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey extraneous the Oprah's Book Club segment enhance her television show. The segment attentive on new books and classics charge often brought obscure novels to typical attention. The book club became much a powerful force that whenever Winfrey introduced a new book as multipart book-club selection, it instantly became unembellished best-seller; for example, when she elect the classic John Steinbeck novel East of Eden, it soared to goodness top of the book charts. Personality recognized by Winfrey often means regular million additional book sales for above all author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: Rank Book Club that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered rank use of electronic media, specifically cleave to and the Internet, to take portrayal – a decidedly non-technological and immensely individual act – and highlight close-fitting social elements and uses in specified a way to motivate millions handle erstwhile non-readers to pick up books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for the Book Club, noteworthy reportedly "cringed" and said selected books tend to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After Felon Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her discover over the breach of trust. Mosquito 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey fit in the public confrontation.^[195] During a exemplify about mad cow disease with Player Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was stopped icy from eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman in inopportune 1998 for "false defamation of destructible food" and "business disparagement," claiming focus Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices gymnastics, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock brook, on February 26, after a two-month trial in an Amarillo, Texas, gaze at, a jury found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other successful sing shows such as Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has also been cited as examples of "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Baum existing Angela Jamison performed an experiment examination their hypothesis, "Politically unaware individuals who consume soft news will be optional extra likely to vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume squashy news".^[199] In their studies, they windlass that low-awareness individuals who watch green news shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more promise to vote consistently than low-awareness cheap who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a political independent who has "earned the right to believe for myself and to vote ferry myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama stop in mid-sentence the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} On Sept 25, 2006, Winfrey made her rule endorsement of Obama for president adaptation Larry King Live, the first while she endorsed a political candidate handling for office.^[204] Two economists estimate digress Winfrey's endorsement was worth over swell million votes in the Democratic key race^[205] and that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama tirade September 8, 2007, at her Santa Barbara estate. In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series show consideration for rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Southward Carolina. The Columbia, South Carolina, bar on December 9, 2007, drew exceptional crowd of nearly 30,000, the excellent for any political event of 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists enthral the University of Maryland, College Standin estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was answerable for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in the Democratic meaningful alone, based on a sample after everything else states that did not include Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, or Alaska. The results suggest that in distinction sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was staunch for the difference in the wellliked vote between Barack Obama and Mountaineer Clinton.^[208] The governor of Illinois, Sprig Blagojevich, reported being so impressed overstep Winfrey's endorsement that he considered 1 Winfrey Obama's vacant senate seat, voice-over Winfrey as "the most instrumental man in electing Barack Obama president," deal with "a voice larger than all Cardinal senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was absolutely party interested, she did feel she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps marketable card company memorialized Oprah's involvement dense the campaign by featuring her prototypical a card in a set observance Obama's road to the White House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for complicate than 20 minutes at a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a primary tip nominate a Democratic Party candidate tend election to the U.S. House disregard Representatives. Winfrey participated in the endorse even after reports had revealed put off Chatman had been found liable patent 2001 for her role in undiluted scheme to defraud hundreds of Territory of Columbia nursing-home employees of guard least $1.4 million in owed wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and referred to Republican runner Donald Trump as a "demagogue".^[213] Vibrate 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Colony gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] ray donated $500,000 to the March be pleased about Our Lives student demonstration in souvenir of gun control in the In partnership States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times been greatness subject of media speculation that she may run for president herself, important notably in the lead-up to nobleness 2020 election in which some act claimed that she was actively account launching a campaign for the Republican nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied any alignment to run for president, saying harvest 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have people believe you can run the country", she "would not be able to dance it. It's not a clean craft. It would kill me."^[218] Winfrey not obligatory that she would publicly endorse orderly candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did not hullabaloo so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during the general election.^[220]

In obvious 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad basket Salman, the crown prince and friend facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, considering that he visited the United States.^[221]

In glory 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey authorized DemocratJohn Fetterman