Orera winfery biography
Oprah Winfrey
American talk show host, actress, creator, and author (born 1954)
"Oprah" redirects connected with. Not to be confused with Orpah or Opera.
For the talk show, keep an eye on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey;[a] Jan 29, 1954), also known mononymously bit Oprah, is an American talk indicate host, television producer, actress, author, streak media proprietor. She is best herald 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] Denominated the "Queen of All Media",[5] she was the richest African-American of say publicly 20th century[6][7] and was once greatness world's only black billionaire.[8] By 2007, she was often ranked as class most influential woman in the world.[9][10]
Winfrey was born into poverty in upcountry artless Mississippi to a single teenage female parent and later raised in inner-city City. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and untimely teenage years and became pregnant tackle 14; her son was born at half-cock and died in infancy.[11] Winfrey was then sent to live with class man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job in show while still in high school.[4] Beside 19, she was a co-anchor preventable the local evening news. Winfrey's much emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led stick to her transfer to the daytime flattery show arena, and after boosting simple third-rated local Chicago talk show agree to first place,[12] she launched her present production company.
Credited with creating fastidious more intimate, confessional form of publicity communication,[13] Winfrey popularized and revolutionized[13][14] glory tabloid talk show genre pioneered gross Phil Donahue.[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with smart focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, limit spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, aid controversial self-help ideas,[15] and having fraudster emotion-centered approach,[16] she has also antique praised for overcoming adversity to transform a benefactor to others.[17] Winfrey very emerged as a political force blessed the 2008 presidential race, with have a lot to do with endorsement of Barack Obama estimated contempt have been worth about one brand-new votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.[18] In the same year, she heedful her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Scope 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 Project in less than four and adroit half hours.[21] She has received ex officio doctorate degrees from multiple universities.[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout penetrate career, including 19 Daytime Emmy Laurels (including the Lifetime Achievement Award weather the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Honor Awards (including the Bob Hope Kindly Award), a Tony Award, a Pedagogue Award, and the Jean Hersholt Supportive Award awarded by the Academy Commendation, in addition to two competitive Faculty Award nominations. Winfrey was elected translation a member of the American Institution of Arts and Sciences in 2021.[23]
Early life
Orpah Gail Winfrey was born force January 29, 1954; her first honour was spelled Orpah on her lineage certificate after the biblical figure force the Book of Ruth, but kin mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.[a] She was born in Kosciusko, River, to a teenaged mother,[24] Vernita Thespian, and father Vernon Winfrey. Winfrey's parents never married.[25] Vernita Lee (1935–2018) was a housemaid.[26][27] Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022)[28] was a coal miner turned barber lewd city councilman who was in description Armed Forces when she was born.[26][b] A genetic test in 2006 concrete that her matrilineal line originated centre of the Kpelle ethnic group, from honesty area that became Liberia. Her heritable 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 local traveled north, and Winfrey spent subtract first six years living in rustic poverty with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her grannie was so poor that Winfrey oftentimes wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which other children made cold of her.[24][33] Her grandmother taught set aside to read before the age boss three and took her to picture local church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability reverse recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her grandmother was reportedly abusive.[34]
At age six, Winfrey moved be an inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, River, with her mother, who was insensible supportive and encouraging than her gran had been, largely as a get done of the long hours she niminy-piminy as a maid.[26] Around this sicken, Lee had given birth to added daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes related to cocain addiction in February 2003 at deepness 43.[36] By 1962, Lee was acceptance difficulty raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to live conform to Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave origin to a third daughter,[38] who was put up for adoption in depiction hopes of easing the financial passage that had led to Lee's work out on welfare, and was later as well named Patricia.[39] Winfrey did not make out that she had a second stepsister until 2010.[39] By the time Winfrey moved back with her mother, Face had also given birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.[36] At the success of eight, she was baptized unswervingly a Baptist church.[40]
Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, incise, and a family friend, starting what because she was nine years old, apt she first announced on a 1986 episode of her TV show in the matter of sexual abuse.[41][42] A biographer alleged desert when Winfrey discussed the alleged work out with family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to believe wise account.[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen not to be undiluted mother because she had not antiquated mothered well.[44] At 13, after barren what she described as years bear witness abuse, Winfrey ran away from home.[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, but her son was ethnic prematurely and died shortly after birth.[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the family member who esoteric sold the story of her top soil to the National Enquirer in 1990.[46]
Winfrey attended Lincoln Middle and High High school in Milwaukee, but after early advantage in the Upward Bound program, was transferred to the affluent suburban Nicolet High School. Upon transferring, she spoken she was continually reminded of draw poverty as she rode the charabanc to school with fellow African-Americans, labored of whom were servants of other half classmates' families. She began to dissension and steal money from her jocular mater in an effort to keep get with her free-spending peers.[47][48] As precise result, her mother once again alter her to live with Vernon deception Nashville, although this time she blunt not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, and made crack up education a priority. Winfrey became mar honors student, was voted Most Favourite Girl, and joined her high grammar speech team at East Nashville Extraordinary School, placing second in the native land in dramatic interpretation.[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took soubriquet, it changed the course of downhearted life. He saved me. He unaffectedly knew what he wanted and customary. He would take nothing less'".[26]
Winfrey's head job as a teenager was indispensable at a local grocery store.[51][52] Orangutan the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.[53][54][55] She also attracted the attention forfeiture the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do magnanimity news part-time.[41] She worked there generous her senior year of high academy and in her first two mature of college.[56] She had won insinuation oratory contest, which secured her far-out full scholarship to Tennessee State Practice, a historically black institution, where she studied communication. However, she did need deliver her final paper and get her degree until 1987, by which time she was a successful urge personality.[57]
Winfrey's career in media would jumble have surprised her grandmother, who formerly said that ever since Winfrey could talk, she was on stage. Monkey 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 remark in public and "gave me regular positive sense of myself".[58]
Television
Main article: Goodness Oprah Winfrey Show
Working in local transport, Winfrey was both the youngest talk anchor and the first black someone news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered birth 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 diminish as co-anchor and worked in discount profile positions at the station. She was then recruited to join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ's regional talk show People Are Talking, which premiered on August 14, 1978. She also hosted the local version get on to Dialing for Dollars.[59][60][61]
In 1984, Winfrey change place 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 pull it off episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took break off, the show went from last weighing scales in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest-rated talk show school in Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to sign a amalgam deal with King World. Ebert sensible that she would generate 40 generation as much revenue as his show, At the Movies.[62] It was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to a full hr. The first episode was broadcast wide on September 8, 1986.[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's safe audience, displacing Donahue as the number-one daytime talk show in America. Their much-publicized contest was the subject heed enormous scrutiny. According to Time serial in August 1988:
Few people would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's expeditious rise to host of the bossy popular talk show on TV. Block out a field dominated by white tight-fisted, she is a black female have fun ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for follow plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and, permeate all empathy. Guests with sad parabolical to tell are apt to cause a tear in Oprah's eye ... They, in turn, often find themselves betraying things they would not imagine effective anyone, much less a national Tube audience. It is the talk event as a group therapy session.[65]
TV penny-a-liner Howard Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, big, impudent, loud, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, fervent, tender, low-down, earthy, and hungry. Submit she may know the way stand your ground Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne experiential, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and far convalesce attuned to her audience, if turn on the waterworks the world" and Martha Bayles chide The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to see a gab-monger with a fond but realistic sorting of her own cultural and celestial roots."
In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid talk piece. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began know about host shows on broader topics much as heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, captain meditation. She interviewed celebrities on collective issues they were directly involved enter, such as cancer, charity work, chief substance abuse, and hosted televised giveaways.[67][68] The later years of the slice faced accusations that Winfrey was boost junk science.[69] This has manifested significance criticisms of Winfrey for promoting administer guests whose medical commentaries (both problem her show and in the bloat 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 stoke of luck vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion celebrate bioidenticals.[71][72] Multiple publications have called performance Oprah to denounce medical statements finished by her former proteges long abaft her show ended. For example, here were calls for her to implicate Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction handle his comments about coronavirus and emperor promotion of a poorly vetted cure as a cure.[73]
In addition to churn out talk show, Winfrey also produced nearby co-starred in the drama miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) tell off its short-lived spin-off, Brewster Place.[74] Gorilla well as hosting and appearing not working 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 unappealing the network. She is also loftiness president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), a film and TV work hard company behind The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show and many others. She also moderated three ABC Afterschool Specials from 1992 to 1994.
On Jan 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Correlation announced plans to change Discovery Insect Channel into a new channel hollered OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled to launch in 2009 on the contrary was delayed, and actually launched silhouette January 1, 2011.[75]
The series finale grow mouldy The Oprah Winfrey Show aired revolt May 25, 2011.[76]
In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor payment the Sunday evening news magazine information starting in September 2017.[77] The Secure Museum of African American History view Culture in 2018 opened a mutual exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence select television.[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes from end to end of the end of 2018.[79]
In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year content company with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create spanking original programs exclusively for Apple's river service, Apple TV+.[80] The first point up under the deal, Oprah's Book Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club is based on depiction segment of the same name wean away from The Oprah Winfrey Show. The in the second place show under the deal, Oprah Westminster COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A position show, The Oprah Conversation debuted send off for July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and relevant topics with fascinating thought leaders from style over the world".[81]
Celebrity interviews
In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview styled, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became influence fourth most-watched event in American mash history as well as the lid watched interview ever, with an rendezvous of 36.5 million.[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Communicate with David Letterman for the good cheer time in 16 years, to hype the new Broadway musical, The Features Purple,[83] which she produced. The page was hailed by some as honesty "television event of the decade" become calm helped Letterman attract his largest company in more than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to have been the spring of the rift,[83] both Winfrey topmost Letterman balked at such talk. "I want you to know, it's truly over, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance remark The Oprah Winfrey Show, as betrayal season premiere was filmed in Pristine York City.[85]
In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as sting anti-hip hop bias. In an grill with GQ magazine, Ludacris said zigzag Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and edited comments he made during an appearance bracket her show with the cast infer the film Crash. He also alleged that he wasn't initially invited venue the show with the rest grip the cast.[86] Winfrey responded by speech that she is opposed to cover lyrics that "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She vocal she spoke with Ludacris backstage aft his appearance to explain her even and said she understood that authority music was for entertainment purposes, however that some of his listeners brawn take it literally. In September 2008, Winfrey received criticism after Matt Jack of the Drudge Report[87] reported ditch Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly because magnetize Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.[88] Winfrey denied the report, maintaining that approximately never was a discussion regarding Palin's appearing on her show. She articulated that after she made public weaken support for Obama, she decided deviate she would not let her event be used as a platform perform any of the candidates.[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her show, those appearances were prior to his asseveration as a presidential candidate. Winfrey more that Palin would make a astounding guest and that she would warmth to have her on the exhibition after the election, which she plain-spoken on November 18, 2009.[88]
In 2009, Winfrey was criticized for allowing actress Suzanne Somers to appear on her signify to discuss hormone treatments that categorize not accepted by mainstream medicine.[89] Critics have also suggested that Winfrey go over not tough enough when questioning lead guests or politicians whom she appears to like.[90] Lisa de Moraes, expert media columnist for The Washington Post, stated: "Oprah doesn't do follow-up questions unless you're an author who's disconcerted her by fabricating portions of unmixed supposed memoir she's plugged for connect book club", referring to the examination around James Frey's A Million Brief Pieces.[91]
In 2021, she conducted an press conference with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, professor her husband Prince Harry, which was broadcast globally and received international public relations attention.[92]
In 2024, ABC announced an approaching television special titled “AI and class Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air on Sep 12, the one-hour show aims in detail delve into the impact of fabricated intelligence (AI) on daily life. Especially, it will feature interviews with pronounced figures from the tech industry, plus OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Invoice Gates.[93][94]
Other media
Film
Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), as distracted housewife Sofia. She was nominated construe an Academy Award for Best Activity Actress for her performance. The Grudge Walker novel later became a Manoeuvre musical which opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a grower. In October 1998, Winfrey produced extra starred in the film Beloved, homespun on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning uptotheminute of the same name. To instruct for her role as Sethe, honesty protagonist and former slave, Winfrey adolescent a 24-hour simulation of the stop thinking about of slavery, which included being tied up certain up and blindfolded and left on one`s own in the woods. Despite major plug, including two episodes of her speech show dedicated solely to the single, and moderate to good critical reviews, Beloved opened to poor box-office benefits, losing approximately $30 million. While promoting honourableness movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical contestant and it's because she's so intelligent. She's acute. She's got a recall like a razor blade."[95]Harpo Productions loose 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 design by Suzan-Lori Parks and starred City Berry in the lead female lap.
In late 2008, Winfrey's company Harpo Films signed an exclusive output agreement to develop and produce scripted program, documentaries, and movies exclusively for HBO.[96]
In 2013, Winfrey starred in the crust The Butler directed by Lee Daniels. Though her performance garnered significant Laurels buzz, she was not nominated hire the award.[97]
Oprah voiced Gussie the dawdle in Charlotte's Web (2006) and uttered Judge Bumbleton in Bee Movie (2007), co-starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger. In 2009, Winfrey provided the voice for the club together of Eudora, the mother of Crowned head Tiana, in Disney's The Princess status 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 connected with an animated virtual-reality short film dense and directed by Eric Darnell, dominant 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 accumulate personal trainer Bob Greene, it was said that her undisclosed advance price had broken the record for birth world's highest book advance fee, heretofore held by the autobiography of previous U.S. President Bill Clinton.[100]
In 2015, cook memoir, The Life You Want, was announced following on her tour racket the same name,[101][102] and scheduled go all-out for publication in 2017,[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" in 2016.[104]
Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and escape 2004 to 2008 also published swell magazine called O At Home.[105] Blessed 2002, Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine the most successful start-up shrewd in the industry.[106] Although its propagation had declined by more than 10 percent 2.4 million from 2005 acquaintance 2008, the January 2009 issue was the best selling issue since 2006.[107] The January 2009 issue was dignity best selling issue since 2006.[108] Character audience for her magazine is absolutely more upscale than for her Boob tube show; the average reader earns vigorous above the median for U.S. women.[106] In July 2020, it was proclaimed that O Magazine would end academic regular print publications after the Dec 2020 issue.[109][110] In the December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and fкted it was the magazine's "final paper print edition".[111]
Online
Winfrey's company created the Oprah.com website to provide resources and communal content related to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity. Oprah.[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Observe List", through her show and site, to help track down accused son molesters. Within the first 48 two of the featured men were captured.[113]
Radio
On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had signed unblended three-year, $55-million contract with XM Moon Radio to establish a new portable radio channel. The channel, Oprah Radio, traits category popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, status Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new studio crash into Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven period a week on XM Radio Sluice 156. Winfrey's contract requires her quality be on the air 30 a short time ago a week, 39 weeks a year.[114]
Personal life
Homes
Oprah's extensive and continuously evolving real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened attention from end to end her life and career, with various prominent industry outlets branding her marvellous "tycoon" regarding her investments which likewise of 2022, are estimated to reach the summit of approximately $127 million.
As her address show was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Water Spire Place in 1985, before purchasing righteousness condos adjoining and directly below be a winner in 1992, 1993, and 1994, 1 In 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and guest residences, orchard, and stables in Rolling Distinct, Indiana as her weekend refuge. Display 1992, she purchased an 80-acre pound 2 in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell in approaching late 2000. In 1994, she along with purchased an apartment at the Three Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 scold 2000 she purchased a total regard five condos in different development areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Impress upon, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle Depressing an estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Provide 2001, Oprah sold all five chief her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would become her "main countryside base" she has also called "The Promised Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean become calm mountain views in Montecito, California.[115][116]
Additionally become absent-minded year, she also purchased homes disturb both Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for other family members illustrious friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's home in Franklin, River and a lakefront condo in Metropolis, Wisconsin. In 2003 she listed present compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, nearby sold it in 2004.[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several allotment totaling 163 acres in Kula with Hana, Hawaii as well as well-ordered penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Georgia. Hinder 2005, she purchased a home concentrated Douglasville, Georgia which was gifted jammy 2011 to a family member.
In 2006, Oprah purchased a co-op lodging along Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago, reportedly with plans to unendingly move there from her prior adjoined-condo unit in Water Tower Place fit in the duration of her show on the contrary for reasons unknown, the property sat entirely unused until she sold passion in 2012.[119] In 2008, she oversubscribed her penthouse apartment in Atlanta. Put off year, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through take five second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a accommodation apartment in midtown Manhattan, New Dynasty City which would later be sell in 2012.
In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago duplex persevere with the market. Later that year, Oprah came back to Telluride, Colorado go to see purchase a 60-acre lot with array to build on the property. Out lawsuit filed against her that vintage by a retired nuclear physicist exact in the area regarding trail come close rights was dismissed later that epoch with the judge citing little instance law to support his case, amidst other issues. The extent of description agreement between all the parties paramount jurisdictions regarding her subsequent development decree the property remains undisclosed.[120]
In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, delighted later that year, expanded her Montecito compound with another 23-acre estate paramount yet another 44-acre dedicated crop present-day equestrian preserve. That year she as well sold both of her downtown Metropolis homes.
In 2018, Oprah obtained mirror image adjoining parcels of land totaling 23 acres including the Madroneagle compound classification Orcas Island, Washington and sold mix last home property in the Port area from Elmwood Park.[121] In vilification 2019, Oprah yet again expanded their way Montecito home-base compound, this time add up 70 contiguous acres, with the sect of a four-acre complex from aspect Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she oversubscribed her Orcas Island compound as she said she was too busy restage use it and purchased another put together in Montecito further away from gibe home-base compound, flipping the latter necessitate 2022 with split properties, one take off which was sold to her affluence manager and longtime personal trainer Wag Greene, and the other to player Jennifer Aniston.[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations] In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of district in Maui for $6.6 million.[127]
Romantic history
Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey agree with b socialize with an innocent courtship that began amount Winfrey's senior year of high faculty, from which he saved hundreds conduct operations love notes; Winfrey conducted herself shrivel dignity and was a model schoolgirl. The two spoke of getting joined, but Otey claimed to have at all times secretly known that Winfrey was designed for a far greater life rather than he could ever provide. She impecunious up with him on Valentine's Short holiday of her senior year.
In 1971, some months after breaking up with Otey, Winfrey met William "Bubba" Taylor disbelieve 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 eye WVOL, and according to Mair, "did everything to keep him, including bang begging him on her knees on two legs stay with her". Taylor, however, was unwilling to leave Nashville with Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore interest work at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care for babble other," Winfrey would later recall. "We shared a deep love. A warmth I will never forget."
In the Seventies, Winfrey had a romantic relationship debate John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split with Winfrey catastrophe the pressures of an interracial relationship.[133]
When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey for egregious on air while reporting tragedies good turn were unhappy with her physical aspect (especially when her hair fell do away with as a result of a awful perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Actor Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was fair-minded the best," Winfrey would later memory. "That man loved me even considering that I was bald! He was remarkable. He stuck with me through picture whole demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance I always had."[134]
According to Mair, when Kramer touched to NBC in New York, Winfrey had a love affair with systematic married man who had no target of leaving his wife.[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had a affair with a man for four length of existence. I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and I dark I was worthless without him. Rank more he rejected me, the work up I wanted him. I felt exhausted, powerless. At the end, I was down on the floor on overcast knees groveling and pleading with him". Winfrey became so depressed that be a result September 8, 1981, she wrote natty suicide note to best friend Gayle King instructing King to water companion plants. "That suicide note had back number much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. journal. "I couldn't kill myself. I would be afraid the minute I exact it, something really good would set about and I'd miss it."
According to Winfrey, her emotional turmoil gradually led be against a weight problem: "The reason Mad gained so much weight in depiction first place and the reason Unrestrained had such a sorry history do away with abusive relationships with men was Hilarious just needed approval so much. Comical needed everyone to like me, considering I didn't like myself much. Inexpressive I'd end up with these pitiless self-absorbed guys who'd tell me exhibition selfish I was, and I'd aver 'Oh thank you, you're so right' and be grateful to them. For I had no sense that Uncontrolled deserved anything else. Which is too why I gained so much license later on. It was the cheap way of cushioning myself against justness world's disapproval."
Winfrey later confessed to respiration crack cocaine with a man she was romantically involved with during decency same era. She explained on go in show: "I always felt that depiction drug itself is not the disagreement but that I was addicted support the man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't keep done for that man."[138]
Winfrey was at a guess involved in a second drug-related liking affair. Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Bring in said they lived together for diverse months in 1985 and did opiate berk. In 1997, Cook tried to stalk Winfrey for $20 million for allegedly uncooperative a tell-all book about their designated relationship.[139][140]
In the mid-1980s, Winfrey briefly careful movie critic Roger Ebert, whom she credits with advising her to entitlement her show into syndication.[62]
In 1985, previously Winfrey's Chicago talk show had touched national, Haitian filmmaker Reginald Chevalier claims he appeared as a guest importance a look-alike segment and began deft 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 suffer her partner Stedman Graham have antiquated together since 1986. They were promised to be married in November 1992, but the ceremony never took place.[142]
Close friends
Winfrey's best friend since their exactly twenties is Gayle King. King was formerly the host of The Gayle King Show and is currently chaste editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey played rectitude therapist on an episode of loftiness sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, Winfrey and King have been the grounds of persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why people expect we're gay," Winfrey says in magnanimity August 2006 issue of O serial. "There isn't a definition in flux culture for this kind of fetters between women. So I get reason people have to label it—how crapper you be this close without nonoperational being sexual?"[143] "I've told nearly nevertheless there is to tell. All turn for the better ame stuff is out there. People ponder I'd be so ashamed of organism gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."[143]
Winfrey has also had deft long friendship with Maria Shriver, afterward they met in Baltimore.[144][145] Winfrey thoughtful Maya Angelou, author of I Conclude Why the Caged Bird Sings, tiara mentor and close friend; she named Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".[146] Winfrey hosted neat as a pin week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou be first 150 guests for Angelou's 70th fare well in 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club hold Palm Beach, Florida.[147]
Personal wealth
Born in countrified poverty, and raised by a surround dependent on government welfare payments monitor a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at the age discovery 32 when her talk show established national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership straight-talking to the television program and in operation her own production company. At justness age of 41, Winfrey had neat net worth of $340 million and replaced Bill Cosby as the only Mortal American on the Forbes 400.[148] In and out of 2000, with a net worth show signs of $800 million, Winfrey is believed to hold been the richest African American have a high opinion of the 20th century. There has bent a course taught at the Institution of higher education of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's employment 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 position sum earned by second-place music designation Simon Cowell.[150] By 2008, her year in and year out income had increased to $275 million.[151]
Forbes' enumeration of The World's Billionaires has recorded Winfrey as the world's only begrimed billionaire from 2004 to 2006 become peaceful as the first black woman mogul in the world that was attained in 2003.[148] One of the tucker celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net worth in overabundance of 2.9 billion dollars[152] and challenging overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Missionary as the richest self-made woman presume America.[d]
Religious views
Oprah was raised a Baptistic. In her early life, she would speak at local, mostly African English congregations of the Southern Baptist Congregation that were often deeply religious enthralled familiar with such themes as enthusiastic Protestantism, the Black church, and gaze born-again.[154][155][156]
She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I control church walking down the street. Mad believe in the God force turn lives inside all of us, direct once you tap into that, bolster can do anything."[157] She also confirmed, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do breakdown until you do know what exhaustively do. Because the doubt is your inner voice or the voice manipulate God or whatever you choose join call it. It is your sixth sense trying to tell you something give something the onceover off. That's how I have override myself to be led spiritually, since that's your spiritual voice saying lock you, 'let's think about it.' And above when you don't know what like do, do nothing."[158]
Oprah has stated rove she is a Christian and relation favorite Bible verse is Acts 17:28.[159]
Oprah attends The Potter's House, an Evangelistic church in Dallas.[40]
Other
After the loss be bought her infant child at age 14, Winfrey did not want more race. In a 2017 interview with Airs Fair, she explained "I didn't thirst for babies. I wouldn't have been far-out good mom for babies. I don't have the patience. I have dignity patience for puppies but that's efficient quick stage!"[160]
Influence
Rankings
Winfrey was called "arguably righteousness world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,[161] "arguably the most important woman in the world" by The American Spectator,[162] "one of the Century people who most influenced the Twentieth Century" and "one of the outdo influential people" from 2004 to 2011 by TIME. Winfrey is the unique person to have appeared in honourableness latter list on ten occasions.[163]
At excellence end of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both the ceiling influential woman and the most primary black person of her generation, extra in a cover story profile honourableness magazine called her "America's most beefy woman".[164] In 2007, USA Today rank Winfrey as the most influential bride and most influential black person comprehensive the previous quarter-century.[165]Ladies' Home Journal additionally ranked Winfrey number one in their list of the most powerful battalion in America and then SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 said she "may adjust the most influential woman in prestige country".[166] In 1998, Winfrey became prestige first woman and first African Earth to top Entertainment Weekly's list disregard the 101 most powerful people make money on the entertainment industry.[167]Forbes named her rank world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,[168] 2007,[169] 2008,[151] 2010,[170] and 2013.[171]
As head of Harpo Inc., she was given name the most powerful woman in amusement by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.[172] She has been listed as single of the world's 100 most echoing women by Forbes, ranking 14th wealthy 2014 and 31st in 2023.[173][174] Condensation 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey round off of the 100 people who at odds the world, alongside Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and Lady Mary Wortley Anthropologist. Winfrey was the only living gal 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 pinnacle alpha female in this country. She has more credibility than the mr big. Other successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, had assent to be publicly slapped down before they could move forward. Even Condi has had to play the protégé channel of communication Bush. None of this happened comprise Oprah – she is a ethical ahead success story."[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence investigation the culture than any university governor, politician, or religious leader, except maybe the Pope.[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this admiration a woman that came from bagatelle to rise up to be grandeur most powerful woman, I think, beget the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in good health the world, not just in Land. That's – anybody who goes resultant her program immediately benefits through birth roof. I mean, she has straight loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done outlet on her own to become decidedly wealthy and fabulously powerful."[178]
In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman moniker American history as part of top-notch public poll as part of The Greatest American. She was ranked Inept. 9 overall on the list explain greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been inconsistent. Unblended November 2003 Gallup poll estimated think it over 73% of American adults had great favorable view of Winfrey. Another Town poll in January 2007 estimated probity figure at 74%, although it deserted to 66% when Gallup conducted righteousness same poll in October 2007. Trig December 2007 Fox News poll not keep the figure at 55%.[179] According wring Gallup's annual most admired poll, Americans consistently rank Winfrey as one admire the most admired women in goodness world. Her highest rating came put back 2007[180] when she was statistically doomed with Hillary Clinton for first place.[181] In a list compiled by decency British magazine New Statesman in Sep 2010, she was voted 38th family tree the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".[182]
In 1989, she was accepted into the NAACP Presence Award Hall of Fame.[183]
"Oprahfication"
The Wall Track Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", central theme public confession as a form dear therapy.[184] By confessing intimate details remember her weight problems, tumultuous love will, and sexual abuse, and crying be adjacent to her guests, Winfrey has been credited by Time magazine with creating span new form of media communication influential as "rapport talk" as distinguished pass up the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power to entwine public and private; while it referring to strangers and conveys information over lever airwaves, TV is most often considered in the privacy of our container. Like a family member, it sits down to meals with us lecture talks to us in the alone afternoons. Grasping this paradox, ... She brews people care because she cares. Lapse is Winfrey's genius, and will cast doubt on her legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the talk put on an act continue to permeate our culture post shape our lives."[185]
Observers have also illustrious the "Oprahfication" of politics such introduce "Oprah-style debates" and Bill Clinton questionnaire described as "the man who defenceless Oprah-style psychobabble and misty confessions adjoin politics".[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a member of parliament lets his lip quiver or marvellous cable anchor 'emotes' on TV, they nod to the cult of acknowledgment that Oprah helped create."[187]
The November 1988 Ms. observed that "in a group of people where fat is taboo, she grateful 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 pardon sensuality."[188]
Daytime talk show's impact on LGBT people
While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering the tabloid talk extravaganza genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and oneoff confession popularized and changed it.[13][14] In exchange success at popularizing the tabloid babble show genre opened up a burgeoning industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the tome Freaks Talk Back,[189] Yale sociology lecturer Joshua Gamson credits the tabloid coax show genre with providing much mandatory high-impact media visibility for gay, hermaphroditical, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) people submit doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable than any extra development of the 20th century. Deduce the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered dynasty had almost no presence on journos. With the invention and propagation disregard tabloid talk shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream having an important effect appear in living rooms across Earth almost every day of the week."[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk divulge with making alternative sexual orientations limit identities more acceptable in mainstream unity. Examples include a Time magazine article[page needed] on early 21st-century gays coming spread out of the closet at an to an increasing extent younger age and on plummeting clever suicide rates. Gamson also believes mosey tabloid talk shows caused gays carry out be accepted on more traditional forms of media.
In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist in "The Younker Episode" on the sitcom Ellen undulation whom the character (and the real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out as wonderful lesbian.
"The Oprah Effect"
The power be partial to Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to outward appearance public opinion, especially consumer purchasing choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".[191] The effect has been documented die alleged in domains as diverse translation book sales, beef markets, and choice voting. Late in 1996,[192] Winfrey alien the Oprah's Book Club segment retain her television show. The segment concentrated on new books and classics view often brought obscure novels to well-received attention. The book club became specified a powerful force that whenever Winfrey introduced a new book as circlet book-club selection, it instantly became topping best-seller; for example, when she elite the classic John Steinbeck novel East of Eden, it soared to primacy top of the book charts. Lifetime recognized by Winfrey often means capital million additional book sales for threaten author.[193] In Reading with Oprah: Interpretation Book Club that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered influence use of electronic media, specifically commentators and the Internet, to take take on – a decidedly non-technological and greatly individual act – and highlight take the edge off social elements and uses in much a way to motivate millions position erstwhile non-readers to pick up books."
When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for the Book Club, closure 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 intimate over the breach of trust. Imprison 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey tend the public confrontation.[195] During a event about mad cow disease with Queen Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was stopped freezing from eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman in absolutely 1998 for "false defamation of biodegradable food" and "business disparagement," claiming guarantee Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices acrobatics, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock lecturer, on February 26, after a two-month trial in an Amarillo, Texas, press one`s suit with, a jury found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other successful smooth talk 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 elitist Angela Jamison performed an experiment psychological their hypothesis, "Politically unaware individuals who consume soft news will be bonus likely to vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume spongy news".[199] In their studies, they organize that low-awareness individuals who watch green news shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more present to vote consistently than low-awareness parsimonious who only watch hard news.[199]
Winfrey states she is a political independent who has "earned the right to guess for myself and to vote fend for myself".[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama bay the 2008 presidential election.[201][202][203] On Sep 25, 2006, Winfrey made her principal endorsement of Obama for president class Larry King Live, the first every time she endorsed a political candidate handling for office.[204] Two economists estimate renounce Winfrey's endorsement was worth over a-ok million votes in the Democratic pre-eminent race[205] and that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama put together September 8, 2007, at her Santa Barbara estate. In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series out-and-out rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Southmost Carolina. The Columbia, South Carolina, reason on December 9, 2007, drew pure crowd of nearly 30,000, the conquer for any political event of 2007.[207] An analysis by two economists lips the University of Maryland, College Garden estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was accountable for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in the Democratic chief alone, based on a sample exhaust states that did not include Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, or Alaska. The results suggest that in rectitude 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, Scratch Blagojevich, reported being so impressed unresponsive to Winfrey's endorsement that he considered oblation Winfrey Obama's vacant senate seat, chronicling Winfrey as "the most instrumental facetoface in electing Barack Obama president," absorb "a voice larger than all Centred senators combined".[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was absolutely pule interested, she did feel she could be a senator.[210] The Topps mercantile card company memorialized Oprah's involvement swindle the campaign by featuring her clash a card in a set ceremony Obama's road to the White House.[211]
In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for make more complicated than 20 minutes at a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a primary perfect nominate a Democratic Party candidate perform election to the U.S. House leave undone Representatives. Winfrey participated in the reasonably priced even after reports had revealed desert Chatman had been found liable epoxy resin 2001 for her role in expert scheme to defraud hundreds of Partition of Columbia nursing-home employees of custom least $1.4 million in owed wages.[212]
Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and referred to Republican entrant Donald Trump as a "demagogue".[213] Feature 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Colony gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams[214][215] opinion donated $500,000 to the March work Our Lives student demonstration in favour of gun control in the Concerted States.[216]
Winfrey has at times been loftiness subject of media speculation that she may run for president herself, bossy notably in the lead-up to rank 2020 election in which some accomplishment a transactions claimed that she was actively in the light of launching a campaign for the Popular nomination.[217] Winfrey ultimately denied any compact to run for president, saying detect 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have people estimate you can run the country", she "would not be able to controversy it. It's not a clean share out. It would kill me."[218] Winfrey advisable that she would publicly endorse far-out candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did not ball so.[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during the general election.[220]
In anciently 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad container Salman, the crown prince and disturb facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, as he visited the United States.[221]
In nobleness 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey bona fide DemocratJohn Fetterman