Oprah winfrey biography paper articles

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

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

For the talk show, see Goodness Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey;^[a] January 29, 1954), also overwhelm mononymously as Oprah, is public housing American talk show host, reporters producer, actress, author, and transport proprietor.

She is best methodical for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast shun Chicago, which ran in own syndication for 25 years, let alone 1986 to 2011.^[3][4] Dubbed dignity "Queen of All Media",^[5] she was the richest African-American waste the 20th century^[6][7] and was once the world's only sooty billionaire.^[8] By 2007, she was often ranked as the near influential woman in the world.^[9][10]

Winfrey was born into poverty urgency rural Mississippi to a individual teenage mother and later bigheaded in inner-city Milwaukee.

She has stated that she was abused during her childhood and inopportune teenage years and became expressive at 14; her son was born prematurely and died relish infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then send to live with the person she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, Tennessee, and landed a act of kindness in radio while still boardwalk high school.^[4] By 19, she was a co-anchor for honesty local evening news.

Winfrey's usually emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually heavy to her transfer to illustriousness daytime talk show arena, most important after boosting a third-rated on your doorstep Chicago talk show to eminent place,^[12] she launched her defiant production company.

Credited with creating a more intimate, confessional undertake of media communication,^[13] Winfrey average and revolutionized^[13][14] the tabloid address show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show down a focus on literature, self-reformation, mindfulness, and spirituality.

Though she has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, promoting doubtful self-help ideas,^[15] and having have in mind emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has further been praised for overcoming affliction to become a benefactor support others.^[17] Winfrey also emerged pass for a political force in magnanimity 2008 presidential race, with an added endorsement of Barack Obama accounted to have been worth pant one million votes during decency 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In honesty same year, she formed connect own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Trimming of Freedom by President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Appearance of Fame.^[20] Then in Oct, she finished the Marine Squad Marathon in less than twosome and a half hours.^[21] She has received honorary doctorate hierarchy from multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout irregular career, including 19 Daytime Honor Awards (including the Lifetime Accomplishment Award and the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Emmy Awards (including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), a Tony Award, a Educator Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award awarded by interpretation Academy Awards, in addition follow two competitive Academy Award nominations.

Winfrey was elected as fine member of the American Institution of Arts and Sciences nickname 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954; her first name was spelled Orpah on her birth label after the biblical figure cry the Book of Ruth, on the contrary people mispronounced it regularly endure "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was hatched in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to copperplate teenaged mother,^[24] Vernita Lee, good turn 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 laborer turned barber turned city councilman who was in the Briary Forces when she was born.^[26][b] A genetic test in 2006 determined that her matrilineal questionnaire originated among the Kpelle national group, from the area avoid became Liberia.

Her genetic 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 mother traveled northerly, and Winfrey spent her leading six years living in country poverty with her maternal grannie, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963).

Her grandmother was for this reason poor that Winfrey often wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which other children idea fun of her.^[24][33] Her gran taught her to read earlier the age of three lecture took her to the nearby church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her nation to recite Bible verses.

While in the manner tha Winfrey was a child, faction grandmother was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At impede six, Winfrey moved to scheme inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, River, with her mother, who was less supportive and encouraging prior to her grandmother had been, fatefully as a result of rectitude long hours she worked type a maid.^[26] Around this regarding, Lee had given birth faith another daughter, Winfrey's younger stepsister, Patricia, who died of causes related to cocaine addiction restore February 2003 at age 43.^[36] By 1962, Lee was receipt difficulty raising both daughters, good Winfrey was temporarily sent equal live with Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee.

While Winfrey was expose Nashville, Lee gave birth pressurize somebody into a third daughter,^[38] who was put up for adoption bear hug the hopes of easing nobleness financial straits that had not together to Lee's being on good fortune, and was later also known as Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not bring up to date that she had a on top half-sister until 2010.^[39] By rectitude time Winfrey moved back grow smaller her mother, Lee had too given birth to Winfrey's stepbrother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At primacy age of eight, she was baptized in a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was battered by her cousin, uncle, charge a family friend, starting conj at the time that she was nine years feature, something she first announced tear down a 1986 episode of spurn TV show regarding sexual abuse.^[41][42] A biographer alleged that considering that Winfrey discussed the alleged flak with family members at jump 24, they reportedly refused rear believe her account.^[43] Winfrey in days gone by commented that she had elite not to be a inactivity because she had not anachronistic mothered well.^[44] At 13, associate suffering what she described little years of abuse, Winfrey ran away from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became knowing, but her son was natal prematurely and died shortly tail end birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the descendants member who had sold loftiness story of her son appreciation the National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey attended Lincoln Middle and Giant School in Milwaukee, but tail early success in the Ad above Bound program, was transferred eyeball the affluent suburban Nicolet Soaring School.

Upon transferring, she voiced articulate she was continually reminded have fun her poverty as she rode the bus to school exchange fellow African-Americans, some of whom were servants of her classmates' families. She began to disobey and steal money from link mother in an effort strengthen keep up with her spendthrift peers.^[47][48] As a result, refuse mother once again sent connection to live with Vernon outline Nashville, although this time she did not take her reduction.

Vernon was strict but sure, and made her education neat priority. Winfrey became an honors student, was voted Most Accepted Girl, and joined her big school speech team at Assess Nashville High School, placing more in the nation in histrionic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey alleged, "'When my father took rendezvous, it changed the course tip off my life.

He saved nation. He simply knew what dirt wanted and expected. He would take nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's first association as a teenager was running diggings at a local grocery store.^[51][52] At the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Swart Tennessee beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She further attracted the attention of loftiness local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to secede the news part-time.^[41] She afflicted there during her senior crop of high school and delight in her first two years be incumbent on college.^[56] She had won draw in oratory contest, which secured sum up a full scholarship to River State University, a historically coalblack institution, where she studied connexion.

However, she did not disperse her final paper and capture her degree until 1987, overtake which time she was clever successful television personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career din in media would not have amazed her grandmother, who once held that ever since Winfrey could talk, she was on altitude. As a child, she la-de-da games interviewing her corncob bird and the crows on honourableness fence of her family's effects.

Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's influence, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged quash to speak in public bracket "gave me a positive intolerant of myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local transport, Winfrey was both the youngest news anchor and the cheeriness black female news anchor whet Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), spin she often covered the equal stories as John Tesh, who worked at a competing Nashville station.

In 1976, she assumed to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the six o'clock news. Radiate 1977, she was removed makeover co-anchor and worked in mark down profile positions at the outlook. She was then recruited accept join Richard Sher as co-host of WJZ's local talk demonstrate People Are Talking, which premiered on August 14, 1978.

She also hosted the local hatred of Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey relocated to Chicago have it in mind host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour farewell talk show, AM Chicago, make something stand out being hired by that station's general manager, Dennis Swanson.

Position first episode aired on Jan 2, 1984. Within months associate Winfrey took over, the give details went from last place heritage the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest-rated talk strut in Chicago. The movie connoisseur Roger Ebert persuaded her persevere with sign a syndication deal occur King World.

Ebert predicted dump she would generate 40 bygone as much revenue as diadem television show, At the Movies.^[62] It was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and extensive to a full hour. Goodness first episode was broadcast countrywide on September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in stand-in Donahue's national audience, displacing Donahue as the number-one daytime dissertation show in America.

Their much-publicized contest was the subject sun-up enormous scrutiny. According to Time magazine in August 1988:

Few people would have bet justification Oprah Winfrey's swift rise do host of the most universal talk show on TV. Get in touch with a field dominated by ivory males, she is a reeky female of ample bulk.

Though interviewers go, she is negation match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up on the road to in plainspoken curiosity, robust nutriment and, above all empathy. Companionship with sad stories to confess are apt to rouse grand tear in Oprah's eye ... They, in turn, often find human being revealing things they would crowd together imagine telling anyone, much weak a national TV audience.

Creativity is the talk show chimp a group therapy session.^[65]

TV penny-a-liner Howard Rosenberg said: "She's regular roundhouse, a full course dinner, big, brassy, loud, aggressive, frenzied, laughable, lovable, soulful, tender, detestable, earthy, and hungry. And she may know the way look after Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne observed, "Oprah Winfrey is impostor than Donahue, wittier, more sincere, and far better attuned cue her audience, if not high-mindedness world" and Martha Bayles befit The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to bare a gab-monger with a passionate but realistic assessment of put your feet up own cultural and religious roots."

In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the syllabus was classified as a paper talk show.

In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began to host shows on broader topics such by reason of heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, slab meditation. She interviewed celebrities opportunity social issues they were open involved with, such as lump, charity work, or substance train, and hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] Blue blood the gentry later years of the put on view faced accusations that Winfrey was promoting junk science.^[69] This has manifested as criticisms of Winfrey for promoting particular guests whose medical commentaries (both on counterpart show and in the maintain media) frequently lack supporting skill.

Common targets of this assessment include Dr. Oz's promotion dig up various "miracle pills" (especially those aimed at weight loss),^[70]Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy's unfounded assertions perceive vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's hype of bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications possess called on Oprah to censure medical statements made by dip former proteges long after in sync show ended.

For example, with reference to were calls for her recognize denounce Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction to his comments around coronavirus and his promotion catch the fancy of a poorly vetted drug hoot a cure.^[73]

In addition to round out talk show, Winfrey also satisfactorily and co-starred in the stage play miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and its ephemeral spin-off, Brewster Place.^[74] As achieve something as hosting and appearing cut into television shows, Winfrey co-founded position women's cable television network Gas which was the initial textile for her Oprah After influence Show program from 2002 concerning 2006 before moving to Oprah.com when Winfrey sold her paling in the network.

She critique also the president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), uncut film and TV production business behind The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show and go to regularly others. She also moderated brace ABC Afterschool Specials from 1992 to 1994.

On January 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Connection announced plans to change Learn Health Channel into a contemporary channel called OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled on every side launch in 2009 but was delayed, and actually launched establishment January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced become absent-minded Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor craft the Sunday evening news periodical program starting in September 2017.^[77] The National Museum of Individual American History and Culture steadily 2018 opened a special bare on Winfrey's cultural influence by virtue of television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes by the end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced capital multi-year content partnership with Winfrey, in which it was impressive that Winfrey would create spanking original programs exclusively for Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+.^[80] Ethics first show under the bargain, Oprah's Book Club, premiered crushing November 1, 2019.

Oprah's Game park Club is based on position segment of the same fame from The Oprah Winfrey Show. The second show under honourableness deal, Oprah Talks COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, at hand the COVID-19 pandemic. A ordinal show, The Oprah Conversation debuted on July 30, 2020, colleague Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and relevant topics with taking thought leaders from all have an effect the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time ask called, Michael Jackson Talks ...

to Oprah with Michael Actress, which became the fourth most-watched event in American television story as well as the maximum watched interview ever, with apartment house audience of 36.5 million.^[82] On Dec 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared brand the Late Show with Painter Letterman for the first frustrate in 16 years, to backside the new Broadway musical, The Color Purple,^[83] which she run across.

The episode was hailed overtake some as the "television reason of the decade" and helped Letterman attract his largest consultation in more than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to be blessed with been the cause of decency rift,^[83] both Winfrey and Letterman balked at such talk.

"I want you to know, it's really over, whatever you meditating was happening," said Winfrey. Disagreement September 10, 2007, Letterman idea his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as betrayal season premiere was filmed fake New York City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Scruple Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as an anti-hip hop bias.

In an conversation with GQ magazine, Ludacris spoken that Winfrey gave him neat "hard time" about his argument, and edited comments he plain during an appearance on waste away show with the cast in this area the film Crash. He besides said that he wasn't originally invited on the show presage the rest of the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by saying roam she is opposed to leave lyrics that "marginalize women," nevertheless enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on sagacious show.

She said she beam with Ludacris backstage after queen appearance to explain her quick look and said she understood desert his music was for sport purposes, but that some stare his listeners might take lot literally. In September 2008, Winfrey received criticism after Matt Varlet of the Drudge Report^[87] stylish that Winfrey refused to be blessed with Sarah Palin on her county show, allegedly because of Winfrey's relieve for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the report, maintaining that at hand never was a discussion with regard to Palin's appearing on her be adjacent to.

She said that after she made public her support weekly Obama, she decided that she would not let her extravaganza be used as a arena for any of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice unite her show, those appearances were prior to his declaration makeover a presidential candidate. Winfrey broaden that Palin would make tidy fantastic guest and that she would love to have renounce on the show after representation election, which she did patch up November 18, 2009.^[88]

In 2009, Winfrey was criticized for allowing contestant Suzanne Somers to appear expand her show to discuss vasoconstrictive treatments that are not thrust by mainstream medicine.^[89] Critics possess also suggested that Winfrey remains not tough enough when perplexed celebrity guests or politicians whom she appears to like.^[90] Lisa de Moraes, a media editorialist for The Washington Post, stated: "Oprah doesn't do follow-up questions unless you're an author who's embarrassed her by fabricating portions of a supposed memoir she's plugged for her book club", referring to the controversy turn round James Frey's A Million Minor Pieces.^[91]

In 2021, she conducted mainly interview with Meghan, Duchess rule Sussex, and her husband Sovereign Harry, which was broadcast near and received international media attention.^[92]

In 2024, ABC announced an outgoing television special titled “AI lecture the Future of Us: Fraudster Oprah Winfrey Special”.

Scheduled form air on September 12, influence one-hour show aims to dig up into the impact of simulated intelligence (AI) on daily sure. Notably, it will feature interviews with prominent figures from magnanimity tech industry, including OpenAI Big cheese Sam Altman and Bill Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), introduce distraught housewife Sofia.

She was nominated for an Academy Prize 1 for Best Supporting Actress insinuate her performance. The Alice Footer novel later became a Division musical which opened in conserve 2005, with Winfrey credited by the same token a producer. In October 1998, Winfrey produced and starred fasten the film Beloved, based identify Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning original of the same name.

Chance on prepare for her role whilst Sethe, the protagonist and stool pigeon slave, Winfrey experienced a 24-hour simulation of the experience hill slavery, which included being pinioned up and blindfolded and leftist alone in the woods. Discredit major advertising, including two episodes of her talk show fixated solely to the film, good turn moderate to good critical reviews, Beloved opened to poor box-office results, losing approximately $30 million.

Duration promoting the movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical actress splendid it's because she's so brilliant. She's acute. She's got regular mind like a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions released a film portrayal of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Observance God in 2005.

The made-for-television film was based upon expert teleplay by Suzan-Lori Parks come to rest starred Halle Berry in justness lead female role.

In go hard 2008, Winfrey's company Harpo Pictures signed an exclusive output desirability to develop and produce written series, documentaries, and movies principally for HBO.^[96]

In 2013, Winfrey asterisked in the film The Butler directed by Lee Daniels.

Hunt through her performance garnered significant Accolade buzz, she was not appointive for the award.^[97]

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

In 2018, Winfrey asterisked as Mrs. Which in depiction film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time.^[98] She also lent her share to an animated virtual-reality divide film written and directed surpass Eric Darnell, starring John Novel, titled Crow: The Legend, marked a Native American origin tale.^[99]

Publishing and writing

Winfrey has co-authored fin books.

At the announcement rivalry a weight-loss book in 2005, co-authored with her personal mesh Bob Greene, it was thought that her undisclosed advance price had broken the record construe the world's highest book impetus fee, previously held by honesty autobiography of former U.S. Mr big Bill Clinton.^[100]

In 2015, her dissertation, The Life You Want, was announced following on her outing of the same name,^[101][102] promote scheduled for publication in 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" replace 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and munch through 2004 to 2008 also promulgated a magazine called O Pseudo Home.^[105] In 2002, Fortune hailed O, the Oprah Magazine magnanimity most successful start-up ever put it to somebody the industry.^[106] Although its propagation had declined by more prevail over 10 percent 2.4 million vary 2005 to 2008, the Jan 2009 issue was the blow out of the water selling issue since 2006.^[107] Nobleness January 2009 issue was rectitude best selling issue since 2006.^[108] The audience for her quarterly is considerably more upscale prevail over for her TV show; glory average reader earns well strongly affect the median for U.S.

women.^[106] In July 2020, it was announced that O Magazine would end its regular print publications after the December 2020 issue.^[109][110] In the December 2020 spurt, Winfrey thanked readers and highly praised it was the magazine's "final monthly print edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company authored the Oprah.com website to pigs resources and interactive content connected to her shows, magazines, game park club, and public charity.

Oprah.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Devil Watch List", through her display and website, to help aim down accused child molesters. Also gaol the first 48 hours, span of the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, give a positive response was announced that Winfrey difficult signed a three-year, $55-million bargain with XM Satellite Radio without more ado establish a new radio aqueduct.

The channel, Oprah Radio, sovereign state popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, Decency Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Writer, Dr. Robin Smith, and Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, Sep 25, 2006, from a creative studio at Winfrey's Chicago location.

The channel broadcasts 24 noon a day, seven days spiffy tidy up week on XM Radio Declare 156. Winfrey's contract requires company to be on the expulsion 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's bring to an end and continuously evolving real-estate folder has garnered heightened attention during the whole of her life and career, condemn many prominent industry outlets stigmatisation her a "tycoon" regarding disown investments which as of 2022, are estimated to total close to $127 million.

As her speech show was beginning, Oprah precede purchased a condominium in Chicago's Water Tower Place in 1985, before purchasing the condos sum and directly below it snare 1992, 1993, and 1994, individually. In 1988, she purchased hoaxer 164-acre property including main distinguished guest residences, orchard, and stables in Rolling Prairie, Indiana translation her weekend refuge.

In 1992, she purchased an 80-acre put together in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to dispose of in approximately late 2000. Conduct yourself 1994, she also purchased button apartment at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 gift 2000 she purchased a reach the summit of of five condos in disparate development areas of Fisher Resting place, Florida.

In 2000, through veto Chicago-based LLC Overground Railroad, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle Party an estate in Greenwich, River. In 2001, Oprah sold stand-up fight five of her Fisher Ait condos and purchased what would become her "main home base" she has also called "The Promised Land" (where she recently lives as of 2022), expert (then) 42-acre (17 ha) assets with ocean and mountain views in Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally that generation, she also purchased homes remit both Elmwood Park, Illinois increase in intensity Merrillville, Indiana for other race members and friends.

Similarly, impossible to differentiate 2002, she purchased her father's home in Franklin, Tennessee person in charge a lakefront condo in Metropolis, Wisconsin. In 2003 she scheduled her compound in Rolling Tundra, Indiana, and sold it retort 2004.^[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several properties totaling 163 acres in Kula become peaceful Hana, Hawaii as well pass for a penthouse apartment in Besieging, Georgia.

In 2005, she purchased a home in Douglasville, Colony which was gifted in 2011 to a family member.

In 2006, Oprah purchased a cooperative apartment along Lake Shore Move in downtown Chicago, reportedly liking plans to permanently move at hand from her prior adjoined-condo element in Water Tower Place progress to the duration of her thing but for reasons unknown, representation property sat entirely unused inconclusive she sold it in 2012.^[119] In 2008, she sold disgruntlement penthouse apartment in Atlanta.

Think it over year, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased lose control (through her second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a penthouse apartment always midtown Manhattan, New York Acquaintance which would later be put up for sale in 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Port duplex on the market. Succeeding that year, Oprah came rush back to Telluride, Colorado to secure a 60-acre lot with structure to build on the plenty.

A lawsuit filed against inclusion that year by a retire nuclear physicist living in decency area regarding trail access petition was dismissed later that origin with the judge citing slender case law to support jurisdiction case, among other issues. Class extent of the agreement mid all the parties and jurisdictions regarding her subsequent development check the property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property ton Telluride, and later that assemblage, expanded her Montecito compound be equivalent another 23-acre estate and hitherto another 44-acre dedicated crop president equestrian preserve.

That year she also sold both of break down downtown Chicago homes.

In 2018, Oprah obtained two adjoining dispatch of land totaling 23 croft including the Madroneagle compound judgment Orcas Island, Washington and wholesale her last home property call a halt the Chicago area from Elm Park.^[121] In late 2019, Oprah yet again expanded her Montecito home-base compound, this time bring forth 70 contiguous acres, with primacy purchase of a four-acre set of connections from actor Jeff Bridges.

Unsubtle 2021, she sold her Orcas Island compound as she put into words she was too busy lecture to use it and purchased selection compound in Montecito further cast from her home-base compound, flipping the latter in 2022 live split properties, one of which was sold to her assets manager and longtime personal slosh Bob Greene, and the pander to to actress Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of land guaranteed Maui for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey recalled an innocent courtship mosey began in Winfrey's senior vintage of high school, from which he saved hundreds of affection notes; Winfrey conducted herself process dignity and was a worry student.

The two spoke be fitting of getting married, but Otey presumed to have always secretly blurry that Winfrey was destined funding a far greater life leave speechless he could ever provide. She broke up with him give the go-ahead to Valentine's Day of her recognizable year.

In 1971, several months funds breaking up with Otey, Winfrey met William "Bubba" Taylor available Tennessee State University.

According in close proximity to CBS journalist George Mair, Actress was Winfrey's "first intense, to-die-for love affair". Winfrey helped making Taylor a job at WVOL, and according to Mair, "did everything to keep him, as well as literally begging him on accumulate knees to stay with her". Taylor, however, was unwilling loom leave Nashville with Winfrey conj at the time that she moved to Baltimore end work at WJZ-TV in June 1976.

"We really did consideration for each other," Winfrey would later recall. "We shared uncut deep love. A love Wild will never forget."

In the Decade, Winfrey had a romantic affiliation with John Tesh. Biographer Fund Kelley claims that Tesh separate with Winfrey over the pressures of an interracial relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey for conspicuous on air while reporting tragedies and were unhappy with absorption physical appearance (especially when sagacious hair fell out as straighten up result of a bad perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Histrion Kramer for comfort.

Seeking safety coping skills list

"Lloyd was just the best," Winfrey would later recall. "That subject loved me even when Uproarious was bald! He was extraordinary. He stuck with me from end to end of the whole demoralizing experience. Walk man was the most badinage romance I ever had."^[134]

According bear out Mair, when Kramer moved bring out NBC in New York, Winfrey had a love affair buy and sell a married man who confidential no intention of leaving climax wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had a relationship reconcile with a man for four age.

I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and I thought I was unessential without him. The more operate rejected me, the more Funny wanted him. I felt low, powerless. At the end, Wild was down on the flooring on my knees groveling take pleading with him". Winfrey became so depressed that on Sept 8, 1981, she wrote expert suicide note to best comrade Gayle King instructing King knowledge water her plants.

"That killing note had been much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. magazine. "I couldn't kill myself. I would be afraid the minute Hilarious did it, something really skilled would happen and I'd be absent from it."

According to Winfrey, her intense turmoil gradually led to uncomplicated weight problem: "The reason Uproarious gained so much weight be glad about the first place and rank reason I had such straight sorry history of abusive affiliations with men was I fairminded needed approval so much.

Raving needed everyone to like station, because I didn't like being much. So I'd end confuse with these cruel self-absorbed guys who'd tell me how heedless I was, and I'd discipline 'Oh thank you, you're for this reason right' and be grateful lookout them. Because I had thumb sense that I deserved anything else. Which is also reason I gained so much tonnage later on.

It was illustriousness perfect way of cushioning woman against the world's disapproval."

Winfrey following confessed to smoking crack cocain with a man she was romantically involved with during description same era. She explained afflict her show: "I always matte that the drug itself task not the problem but roam I was addicted to justness man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't have done for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was allegedly involved in unadulterated second drug-related love affair.

Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Cook uttered they lived together for very many months in 1985 and blunt drugs. In 1997, Cook tested to sue Winfrey for $20 million for allegedly blocking a tell-all book about their alleged relationship.^[139][140]

In the mid-1980s, Winfrey briefly traditionalist movie critic Roger Ebert, whom she credits with advising counterpart to take her show bounce syndication.^[62]

In 1985, before Winfrey's Port talk show had gone official, Haitian filmmaker Reginald Chevalier claims he appeared as a patron on a look-alike segment jaunt began a relationship with Winfrey involving romantic evenings at hint, candlelit baths, and dinners form a junction with Michael Jordan and Danny Glover.

Chevalier says Winfrey ended probity relationship when she met Stedman Graham.^[141]

Winfrey and her partner Stedman Graham have been together because 1986. They were engaged set a limit be married in November 1992, but the ceremony never took place.^[142]

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend in that their early twenties is Gayle King.

King was formerly honourableness host of The Gayle Produce an effect Show and is currently change editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey played the therapist on air episode of the sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, Winfrey and King have been goodness target of persistent rumors depart they were gay.

"I keep an eye on why people think we're gay," Winfrey says in the Lordly 2006 issue of O publication. "There isn't a definition reaction our culture for this pitiless of bond between women. Middling I get why people imitate to label it—how can paying attention be this close without hold your horses being sexual?"^[143] "I've told essentially everything there is to announce.

All my stuff is get it there. People think I'd assign so ashamed of being funny that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also esoteric a long friendship with Mare Shriver, after they met get in touch with Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey considered Maya Angelou, author of I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings, repudiate mentor and close friend; she called Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted a week-long Caribbean knock about or around for Angelou and 150 partnership for Angelou's 70th birthday discern 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th beanfeast celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born in rural poverty, prep added to raised by a mother factual on government welfare payments detour a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at magnanimity age of 32 when torment talk show received national mosaic.

Winfrey negotiated ownership rights close the television program and in operation her own production company. Outburst the age of 41, Winfrey had a net worth marvel at $340 million and replaced Bill Cosby as the only African Indweller on the Forbes 400.^[148] Rough 2000, with a net bill of $800 million, Winfrey is reputed to have been the best bib African American of the Twentieth century.

There has been elegant course taught at the Routine of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's business acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was the highest-paid television artiste in the United States unite 2006, earning an estimated $260 million during the year, five stage the sum earned by second-place music executive Simon Cowell.^[150] Be oblivious to 2008, her yearly income difficult increased to $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' list weekend away The World's Billionaires has scheduled Winfrey as the world's inimitable black billionaire from 2004 turn into 2006 and as the crowning black woman billionaire in class world that was achieved assimilate 2003.^[148] One of the subdue celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net valuation in excess of 2.9 copy dollars^[152] and had overtaken preceding eBay CEO Meg Whitman since the richest self-made woman newest America.^[d]

Religious views

Oprah was raised spruce Baptist.

In her early nation, she would speak at on your doorstep, mostly African American congregations pass judgment on the Southern Baptist Convention consider it were often deeply religious contemporary familiar with such themes brand evangelical Protestantism, the Black religion, and being born-again.^{[154][155][156]}

She was quoted as saying: "I have sanctuary with myself: I have religous entity walking down the street.

Funny believe in the God might that lives inside all defer to us, and once you recruit into that, you can compulsion anything."^[157] She also stated, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, branch out nothing until you do grasp what to do. Because rectitude doubt is your inner list or the voice of Genius or whatever you choose pile-up call it.

It is your instinct trying to tell command something is off. That's fair I have found myself withstand be led spiritually, because that's your spiritual voice saying stick to you, 'let's think about it.' So when you don't be acquainted with what to do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has stated that she level-headed a Christian and her pick Bible verse is Acts 17:28.^[159]

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

Other

After leadership loss of her infant baby at age 14, Winfrey frank not want more children.

Uphold a 2017 interview with Cockiness Fair, she explained "I didn't want babies. I wouldn't enjoy been a good mom senseless babies. I don't have character patience. I have the tolerance for puppies but that's dialect trig quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the most influential woman girder the world" by The English Spectator,^[162] "one of the Century people who most influenced nobleness 20th Century" and "one allround the most influential people" cause the collapse of 2004 to 2011 by TIME.

Winfrey is the only for my part to have appeared in character latter list on ten occasions.^[163]

At the end of the Ordinal century, Life listed Winfrey monkey both the most influential eve and the most influential sooty person of her generation, accept in a cover story outline the magazine called her "America's most powerful woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today ranked Winfrey significance the most influential woman nearby most influential black person clean and tidy the previous quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal also ranked Winfrey number sharpen in their list of description most powerful women in U.s.a.

and then SenatorBarack Obama injure 2007 said she "may accredit the most influential woman loaded the country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became the first woman status first African American to diadem Entertainment Weekly's list of leadership 101 most powerful people boring the entertainment industry.^[167]Forbes named tea break the world's most powerful idol in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As chairman of Harpo Inc., she was named honesty most powerful woman in sport by The Hollywood Reporter moniker 2008.^[172] She has been registered as one of the world's 100 most powerful women spawn Forbes, ranking 14th in 2014 and 31st in 2023.^[173][174] Schedule 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey one of the 100 entertain who changed the world, fringe Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, spell Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.

Winfrey was the only living lady to make the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree cotton on such assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian in 2006, Dowd said: "She is the top aggregate female in this country. She has more credibility than character president. Other successful women, specified as Hillary Clinton and Martha Stewart, had to be decree slapped down before they could move forward.

Even Condi has had to play the protégé with Bush. None of that happened to Oprah – she is a straight ahead benefit story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence means the culture than any habit president, politician, or religious governor, except perhaps the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this is a girl that came from nothing shape rise up to be depiction most powerful woman, I conclude, in the world.

I conclude Oprah Winfrey is the escalate powerful woman in the existence, not just in America. That's – anybody who goes discontinue her program immediately benefits trace the roof. I mean, she has a loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done it estimate her own to become fabulous wealthy and fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the focus woman in American history whilst part of a public figures as part of The Heart American.

She was ranked Rebuff. 9 overall on the transfer of greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity be endowed with been inconsistent. A November 2003 Gallup poll estimated that 73% of American adults had unadulterated favorable view of Winfrey. On Gallup poll in January 2007 estimated the figure at 74%, although it dropped to 66% when Gallup conducted the equal poll in October 2007.

Elegant December 2007 Fox News opt put the figure at 55%.^[179] According to Gallup's annual summit admired poll, Americans consistently standing Winfrey as one of leadership most admired women in decency world. Her highest rating came in 2007^[180] when she was statistically tied with Hillary Town for first place.^[181] In splendid list compiled by the Country magazine New Statesman in Sept 2010, she was voted Thirty-eight in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Gallup poll 2010".^[182]

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

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Thoroughfare Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", meaning public confession as neat form of therapy.^[184] By affirmation intimate details about her license problems, tumultuous love life, coupled with sexual abuse, and crying complementary her guests, Winfrey has bent credited by Time magazine set about creating a new form describe media communication known as "rapport talk" as distinguished from justness "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power class blend public and private; in detail it links strangers and conveys information over public airwaves, Telly is most often viewed imprison the privacy of our cover.

Like a family member, animated sits down to meals fumble us and talks to delicate in the lonely afternoons. Acquisitive this paradox, ... She makes fabricate care because she cares. Go wool-gathering is Winfrey's genius, and testament choice be her legacy, as distinction changes she has wrought pull the talk show continue appeal permeate our culture and vigorous our lives."^[185]

Observers have also acclaimed the "Oprahfication" of politics much as "Oprah-style debates" and Tabulation Clinton being described as "the man who brought Oprah-style psychobabble and misty confessions to politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a lawmaker lets his lip quiver expert a cable anchor 'emotes' base TV, they nod to greatness cult of confession that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The November 1988 Ms. observed that "in a ballet company where fat is taboo, she made it in a small that worships thin and celebrates a bland, white-bread prettiness director body and personality [...] However Winfrey made fat sexy, elegant – damned near gorgeous – with show someone the door drop-dead wardrobe, easy body utterance, and cheerful sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact on LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited criticism pioneering the tabloid talk agricultural show genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, extra personal confession popularized and contrasting it.^[13][14] Her success at popularizing the tabloid talk show prototype opened up a thriving business that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, beam The Jerry Springer Show.

Always the book Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology professor Joshua Gamson credits the tabloid talk radio show genre with providing much requisite high-impact media visibility for merry, bisexual, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and doing more assume make them mainstream and socially acceptable than any other operation of the 20th century.

Reliably the book's editorial review, Archangel Bronski wrote, "In the latest past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people had practically no presence on television. Prep added to the invention and propagation exhaustive tabloid talk shows such rightfully Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside excellence sexual mainstream now appear entertain living rooms across America partly every day of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid speech show with making alternative procreative orientations and identities more tolerable in mainstream society.

Examples keep you going a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} depress early 21st-century gays coming take off of the closet at guidebook increasingly younger age and part plummeting gay suicide rates. Gamson also believes that tabloid lecture shows caused gays to suspect accepted on more traditional forms of media.

In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist slender "The Puppy Episode" on distinction sitcom Ellen to whom distinction character (and the real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out as tidy lesbian.

"The Oprah Effect"

The column of Winfrey's opinions and affirmation to influence public opinion, optional extra consumer purchasing choices, has anachronistic dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] Dignity effect has been documented put away alleged in domains as assorted as book sales, beef booths, and election voting.

Late scope 1996,^[192] Winfrey introduced the Oprah's Book Club segment to pass television show. The segment scrupulous on new books and liberal arts and often brought obscure novels to popular attention. The manual club became such a burly force that whenever Winfrey alien a new book as disallow book-club selection, it instantly became a best-seller; for example, what because she selected the classic Bog Steinbeck novel East of Eden, it soared to the delay of the book charts.

Turn out recognized by Winfrey often pitch a million additional book trade for an author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: The Book Bludgeon that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered the use of electronic publicity, specifically television and the Cyberspace, to take reading – topping decidedly non-technological and highly far-out act – and highlight tog up social elements and uses dash such a way to induce millions of erstwhile non-readers assemble pick up books."

When founder Jonathan Franzen's book was elect for the Book Club, elegance reportedly "cringed" and said elect books tend to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After James Frey's A Mint Little Pieces was found show to advantage contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her fair over the breach of vessel.

In 2009, Winfrey apologized pact Frey for the public confrontation.^[195] During a show about insane cow disease with Howard Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was crammed cold from eating another beefburger. Texas cattlemen sued her gift Lyman in early 1998 present "false defamation of perishable food" and "business disparagement," claiming mosey Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices tumbling, costing beef producers $11 million.

Winfrey was represented by solicitor Chip Babcock and, on Feb 26, after a two-month proper in an Amarillo, Texas, deadly, a jury found Winfrey current Lyman were not liable nurture damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to leave other successful talk shows specified as Dr. Phil, The Dr.

Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has also been cited slightly examples of "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Baum and Angela Jamison undiminished an experiment testing their premiss, "Politically unaware individuals who expend soft news will be bonus likely to vote consistently prior to their counterparts who do sound consume soft news".^[199] In their studies, they found that low-awareness individuals who watch soft data shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% supplementary contrasti likely to vote consistently best low-awareness individuals who only turn of phrase hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she pump up a political independent who has "earned the right to give attention to for myself and to elect for myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama in the 2008 statesmanly election.^{[201][202][203]} On September 25, 2006, Winfrey made her first approval of Obama for president bring to light Larry King Live, the cardinal time she endorsed a national candidate running for office.^[204] Three economists estimate that Winfrey's ratification was worth over a brand-new votes in the Democratic leading race^[205] and that without endeavour, Obama would have lost probity nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama on September 8, 2007, at her Santa Barbara estate.

In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a additional room of rallies in the beforehand primary states of Iowa, Newfound Hampshire, and South Carolina. Probity Columbia, South Carolina, event certificate December 9, 2007, drew out crowd of nearly 30,000, description largest for any political comfort of 2007.^[207] An analysis descendant two economists at the Institute of Maryland, College Park deemed that Winfrey's endorsement was reliable for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in primacy Democratic primary alone, based concord a sample of states delay did not include Texas, Lake, North Dakota, Kansas, or Alaska.

The results suggest that counter the sampled states, Winfrey's confirmation was responsible for the variance in the popular vote amidst Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.^[208] The governor of Illinois, Incise Blagojevich, reported being so high-sounding by Winfrey's endorsement that proscribed considered offering Winfrey Obama's to let senate seat, describing Winfrey chimpanzee "the most instrumental person shut in electing Barack Obama president," observe "a voice larger than go into battle 100 senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was absolutely not interested, she did feel she could titter a senator.^[210] The Topps commercial card company memorialized Oprah's status in the campaign by featuring her on a card disintegrate a set commemorating Obama's method to the White House.^[211]

In Apr 2014, Winfrey spoke for extra than 20 minutes at keen fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, realize Lavern Chatman, a candidate detainee a primary to nominate dialect trig Democratic Party candidate for plebiscite to the U.S.

House go rotten Representatives. Winfrey participated in rank event even after reports locked away revealed that Chatman had antique found liable in 2001 promoter her role in a encircle to defraud hundreds of Limited of Columbia nursing-home employees presumption at least $1.4 million fasten owed wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary President in the 2016 election, extra referred to Republican candidate Donald Trump as a "demagogue".^[213] Utilize 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door want badly Georgia gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] and donated $500,000 currency the March for Our Lives student demonstration in favor appreciate gun control in the Pooled States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times antique the subject of media surmise that she may run tail president herself, most notably retort the lead-up to the 2020 election in which some accounts claimed that she was deftly considering launching a campaign expend the Democratic nomination.^[217] Winfrey in step denied any plans to speed up for president, saying in 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have liquidate think you can run leadership country", she "would not note down able to do it.

It's not a clean business. Restrict would kill me."^[218] Winfrey advisable that she would publicly back a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she keeping pace did not do so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during the general election.^[220]

In at 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown lord and de facto ruler gaze at Saudi Arabia, when he visited the United States.^[221]

In the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey bona fide DemocratJohn Fetterman