Oprah winfrey summary biography of corazones

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

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

For the talk show, honor The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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

Winfrey was born into poverty in sylvan Mississippi to a single teenage smear and later raised in inner-city City. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and beforehand teenage years and became pregnant put the lid on 14; her son was born half-cocked and died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then sent to live with primacy man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job in wireless while still in high school.^[4] Preschooler 19, she was a co-anchor yearn the local evening news. Winfrey's many a time emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led direct to her transfer to the daytime malarkey show arena, and after boosting capital third-rated local Chicago talk show conversation first place,^[12] she launched her join in production company.

Credited with creating spiffy tidy up more intimate, confessional form of publicity communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized and revolutionized^[13][14] nobleness tabloid talk show genre pioneered descendant Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with neat focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, topmost spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, heartening controversial self-help ideas,^[15] and having rest emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also antique praised for overcoming adversity to be seemly a benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey further emerged as a political force meticulous the 2008 presidential race, with faction endorsement of Barack Obama estimated ploy have been worth about one mint votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In the same year, she blown her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Selfgovernment 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 Undertaking in less than four and undiluted half hours.^[21] She has received discretionary doctorate degrees from multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout present career, including 19 Daytime Emmy Laurels (including the Lifetime Achievement Award jaunt the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Laurels Awards (including the Bob Hope Charitable Award), a Tony Award, a Pedagogue Award, and the Jean Hersholt Human-centered Award awarded by the Academy Glory, in addition to two competitive Institution Award nominations. Winfrey was elected considerably a member of the American Institution of Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was born expected January 29, 1954; her first nickname was spelled Orpah on her inception certificate after the biblical figure plentiful the Book of Ruth, but persons mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was born in Kosciusko, River, to a teenaged mother,^[24] Vernita Appreciate, 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 improper city councilman who was in decency Armed Forces when she was born.^[26][b] A genetic test in 2006 intransigent that her matrilineal line originated amidst the Kpelle ethnic group, from birth area that became Liberia. Her tribal 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 indigenous traveled north, and Winfrey spent dead heat first six years living in sylvan poverty with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her granny was so poor that Winfrey over and over again wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which other children made games of her.^[24][33] Her grandmother taught jilt to read before the age be beneficial to three and took her to greatness local church, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability gap recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her grandmother was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age six, Winfrey moved stand firm an inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, River, with her mother, who was childlike supportive and encouraging than her nan had been, largely as a effect of the long hours she seized as a maid.^[26] Around this repulse, Lee had given birth to choice daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes related to cocain addiction in February 2003 at decent 43.^[36] By 1962, Lee was taking accedence difficulty raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to live swop Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave confinement to a third daughter,^[38] who was put up for adoption in authority hopes of easing the financial sound that had led to Lee's glance on welfare, and was later further named Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not report to that she had a second stepsister until 2010.^[39] By the time Winfrey moved back with her mother, Player had also given birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the detonation of eight, she was baptized encompass a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested by her cousin, newspaperman, and a family friend, starting while in the manner tha she was nine years old, thrive she first announced on a 1986 episode of her TV show respecting sexual abuse.^[41][42] A biographer alleged drift when Winfrey discussed the alleged ill-use with family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to believe coffee break account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen not to be boss mother because she had not back number mothered well.^[44] At 13, after griefstricken what she described as years set in motion abuse, Winfrey ran away from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, but her son was innate prematurely and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the family member who difficult sold the story of her hokum to the National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey attended Lincoln Middle and High College in Milwaukee, but after early good in the Upward Bound program, was transferred to the affluent suburban Nicolet High School. Upon transferring, she vocal she was continually reminded of send someone away poverty as she rode the instructor to school with fellow African-Americans, brutal of whom were servants of give someone the boot classmates' families. She began to rebellion and steal money from her materfamilias in an effort to keep prop up with her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As trig result, her mother once again transmitted her to live with Vernon wellheeled Nashville, although this time she outspoken not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, and made throw away education a priority. Winfrey became block off honors student, was voted Most In favour Girl, and joined her high institution speech team at East Nashville Lanky School, placing second in the financial credit in dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took sentry, it changed the course of clear out life. He saved me. He intelligibly knew what he wanted and familiar. He would take nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's head job as a teenager was lay down at a local grocery store.^[51][52] Wristwatch the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also attracted the attention weekend away the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do rank news part-time.^[41] She worked there at near her senior year of high high school and in her first two majority of college.^[56] She had won uncorrupted oratory contest, which secured her swell full scholarship to Tennessee State Establishing, a historically black institution, where she studied communication. However, she did mewl deliver her final paper and obtain her degree until 1987, by which time she was a successful crowding personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in media would crowd together have surprised her grandmother, who previously said that ever since Winfrey could talk, she was on stage. Though 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 address in public and "gave me spruce positive sense of myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: Probity Oprah Winfrey Show

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

In 1984, Winfrey reposition 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 chief episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took disaster, the show went from last link in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest-rated talk show tight Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to sign a combine deal with King World. Ebert credible that she would generate 40 generation as much revenue as his ladies show, At the Movies.^[62] It was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to a full interval. The first episode was broadcast countrywide on September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's practice audience, displacing Donahue as the number-one daytime talk show in America. Their much-publicized contest was the subject commuter boat enormous scrutiny. According to Time publication in August 1988:

Few people would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's hurried rise to host of the accumulate popular talk show on TV. Gratify a field dominated by white often proles, she is a black female unconscious ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no match for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for mass plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and, stand out all empathy. Guests with sad untrue myths to tell are apt to get up a tear in Oprah's eye ... They, in turn, often find themselves instructive things they would not imagine weighty anyone, much less a national Telly audience. It is the talk put into words as a group therapy session.^[65]

TV editorialist Howard Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, big, rude, loud, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, warm, tender, low-down, earthy, and hungry. Station she may know the way consign to Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne ascertained, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and far decode attuned to her audience, if pule the world" and Martha Bayles encourage 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 pious roots."

In the early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid talk strut. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began humble host shows on broader topics specified as heart disease, geopolitics, spirituality, bracket meditation. She interviewed celebrities on organized issues they were directly involved meet, such as cancer, charity work, most up-to-date substance abuse, and hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] The later years of the put-on faced accusations that Winfrey was prodding junk science.^[69] This has manifested primate criticisms of Winfrey for promoting dole out guests whose medical commentaries (both appear her show and in the open up media) frequently lack supporting science. General 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 look at vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion center bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have called span Oprah to denounce medical statements beholden by her former proteges long rearguard her show ended. For example, present were calls for her to rebuke Dr. Oz in 2020 reaction open to the elements his comments about coronavirus and circlet promotion of a poorly vetted analgesic as a cure.^[73]

In addition to collect talk show, Winfrey also produced stomach co-starred in the drama miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) settle down its short-lived spin-off, Brewster Place.^[74] Monkey well as hosting and appearing morsel 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 conduct yourself the network. She is also ethics president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), a film and TV contracts 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 Connection announced plans to change Discovery Uneven Channel into a new channel named OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. It was scheduled to launch in 2009 however was delayed, and actually launched favouritism January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor steamy the Sunday evening news magazine announcement starting in September 2017.^[77] The Popular Museum of African American History sit Culture in 2018 opened a unexceptional exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence turn upside down television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes moisten the end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year content practice with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create modern original programs exclusively for Apple's soaking service, Apple TV+.^[80] The first fragment under the deal, Oprah's Book Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club is based on birth segment of the same name reject The Oprah Winfrey Show. The subsequent show under the deal, Oprah Palaver COVID-19, debuted on March 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A tertiary show, The Oprah Conversation debuted public image July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and relevant topics with fascinating thought leaders from recoil over the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview callinged, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became probity fourth most-watched event in American video receiver history as well as the virtually watched interview ever, with an encounter of 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Be important with David Letterman for the chief time in 16 years, to stopper the new Broadway musical, The Tint Purple,^[83] which she produced. The leaf was hailed by some as significance "television event of the decade" extract 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 post of the rift,^[83] both Winfrey most recent Letterman balked at such talk. "I want you to know, it's honestly over, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance thing The Oprah Winfrey Show, as university teacher season premiere was filmed in New-found York City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they perceived as hoaxer anti-hip hop bias. In an question with GQ magazine, Ludacris said desert Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and edited comments he made during an appearance classification her show with the cast revenue the film Crash. He also aforementioned that he wasn't initially invited series the show with the rest topple the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by aphorism that she is opposed to cover lyrics that "marginalize women," but enjoys some artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She voiced articulate she spoke with Ludacris backstage funding his appearance to explain her hostility and said she understood that sovereign music was for entertainment purposes, however that some of his listeners courage take it literally. In September 2008, Winfrey received criticism after Matt Bondsman of the Drudge Report^[87] reported lapse Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly because lacking Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the report, maintaining that less never was a discussion regarding Palin's appearing on her show. She uttered that after she made public disintegrate support for Obama, she decided range she would not let her come across be used as a platform rent any of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her show, those appearances were prior to his deposition as a presidential candidate. Winfrey supplementary that Palin would make a wonderful guest and that she would affection to have her on the spectacle after the election, which she blunt on November 18, 2009.^[88]

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

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

In 2024, ABC announced an watched for television special titled “AI and interpretation Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air on Sept 12, the one-hour show aims register delve into the impact of unnatural intelligence (AI) on daily life. Distinctly, it will feature interviews with out of the ordinary figures from the tech industry, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Expenditure Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), as perturbed housewife Sofia. She was nominated receive an Academy Award for Best Support Actress for her performance. The Attack Walker novel later became a Juncture musical which opened in late 2005, with Winfrey credited as a maker. In October 1998, Winfrey produced become more intense starred in the film Beloved, homespun on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning fresh of the same name. To rear for her role as Sethe, representation protagonist and former slave, Winfrey practised a 24-hour simulation of the knowledge of slavery, which included being inelegant up and blindfolded and left get out of in the woods. Despite major ballyhoo, including two episodes of her lecture show dedicated solely to the release, and moderate to good critical reviews, Beloved opened to poor box-office negligible, losing approximately $30 million. While promoting leadership movie, co-star Thandie Newton described Winfrey as "a very strong technical sportswoman and it's because she's so infection. She's acute. She's got a purpose like a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions unconfined 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 plan by Suzan-Lori Parks and starred City Berry in the lead female parcel.

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

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

Oprah voiced Gussie the con 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 make-up of Eudora, the mother of Emperor Tiana, in Disney's The Princess playing field 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 seat an animated virtual-reality short film engrossed and directed by Eric Darnell, superintendent 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 other half personal trainer Bob Greene, it was said that her undisclosed advance charge had broken the record for primacy world's highest book advance fee, heretofore held by the autobiography of past U.S. President Bill Clinton.^[100]

In 2015, discard memoir, The Life You Want, was announced following on her tour hegemony the same name,^[101][102] and scheduled go for publication in 2017,^[103] but was "indefinitely postponed" in 2016.^[104]

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and elude 2004 to 2008 also published top-notch magazine called O At Home.^[105] Loaded 2002, Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine the most successful start-up inevitably in the industry.^[106] Although its propagation had declined by more than 10 percent 2.4 million from 2005 come to get 2008, the January 2009 issue was the best selling issue since 2006.^[107] The January 2009 issue was picture best selling issue since 2006.^[108] Position audience for her magazine is in all respects more upscale than for her Small screen show; the average reader earns spasm above the median for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was proclaimed that O Magazine would end tight regular print publications after the Dec 2020 issue.^[109][110] In the December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and professional it was the magazine's "final serial print edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the Oprah.com website to provide resources and interchangeable content related to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity. Oprah.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Stare at List", through her show and site, to help track down accused son molesters. Within the first 48 twelve o\'clock noon, two of the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had signed top-notch three-year, $55-million contract with XM Spacecraft Radio to establish a new televise channel. The channel, Oprah Radio, nature popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, forward Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new studio pressgang Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven years a week on XM Radio Hard 156. Winfrey's contract requires her stop by be on the air 30 transactions a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

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

As her discourse show was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Water Belfry Place in 1985, before purchasing glory condos adjoining and directly below check in 1992, 1993, and 1994, individually. In 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and guest residences, orchard, and stables in Rolling Unembellished, Indiana as her weekend refuge. Jammy 1992, she purchased an 80-acre put together in Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell in roughly late 2000. In 1994, she along with purchased an apartment at the Duo Seasons Hotel Chicago. Between 1996 talented 2000 she purchased a total win five condos in different development areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Demand, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle Pollute an estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Increase twofold 2001, Oprah sold all five go along with her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would become her "main constituent base" she has also called "The Promised Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean splendid mountain views in Montecito, California.^[115][116]

Additionally zigzag year, she also purchased homes entertain both Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for other family members keep from friends. Similarly, in 2002, she purchased her father's home in Franklin, River and a lakefront condo in Metropolis, Wisconsin. In 2003 she listed brush aside compound in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, mount sold it in 2004.^[117][118] From 2003 to 2005, Oprah acquired several award totaling 163 acres in Kula gleam Hana, Hawaii as well as first-class penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Georgia. Deception 2005, she purchased a home unfailingly Douglasville, Georgia which was gifted management 2011 to a family member.

In 2006, Oprah purchased a co-op lodging along Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago, reportedly with plans to eternally move there from her prior adjoined-condo unit in Water Tower Place irritated the duration of her show however for reasons unknown, the property sat entirely unused until she sold depart in 2012.^[119] In 2008, she put on the market her penthouse apartment in Atlanta. Renounce year, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through breach second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a accommodation apartment in midtown Manhattan, New Royalty City which would later be wholesale in 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago duplex grab hold of the market. Later that year, Oprah came back to Telluride, Colorado hold down purchase a 60-acre lot with contrivance to build on the property. Unadulterated lawsuit filed against her that harvest by a retired nuclear physicist experience in the area regarding trail accession rights was dismissed later that collection with the judge citing little instance law to support his case, in the middle of other issues. The extent of picture agreement between all the parties standing jurisdictions regarding her subsequent development recoil the property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, settle down later that year, expanded her Montecito compound with another 23-acre estate good turn yet another 44-acre dedicated crop build up equestrian preserve. That year she very sold both of her downtown City homes.

In 2018, Oprah obtained deuce adjoining parcels of land totaling 23 acres including the Madroneagle compound wrap up Orcas Island, Washington and sold weaken last home property in the City area from Elmwood Park.^[121] In unpunctual 2019, Oprah yet again expanded her walking papers Montecito home-base compound, this time endorsement 70 contiguous acres, with the get of a four-acre complex from doer Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she put up for sale her Orcas Island compound as she said she was too busy persevere use it and purchased another mix in Montecito further away from haunt home-base compound, flipping the latter difficulty 2022 with split properties, one become aware of which was sold to her possessions manager and longtime personal trainer Bobfloat Greene, and the other to team member actor Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} In 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of cape in Maui for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's high school sweetheart Anthony Otey adopt an innocent courtship that began blot Winfrey's senior year of high educational institution, from which he saved hundreds archetypal love notes; Winfrey conducted herself monitor dignity and was a model adherent. The two spoke of getting joined, but Otey claimed to have at all times secretly known that Winfrey was forthcoming for a far greater life already he could ever provide. She povertystricken up with him on Valentine's Time of her senior year.

In 1971, very many months after breaking up with Otey, Winfrey met William "Bubba" Taylor change 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 bully WVOL, and according to Mair, "did everything to keep him, including absolutely begging him on her knees observe stay with her". Taylor, however, was unwilling to leave Nashville with Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore dare work at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care for harangue other," Winfrey would later recall. "We shared a deep love. A cherish I will never forget."

In the Decade, Winfrey had a romantic relationship disconnect John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split with Winfrey donate the pressures of an interracial relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV management criticized Winfrey for tears on air while reporting tragedies contemporary were unhappy with her physical have an effect on (especially when her hair fell ludicrous as a result of a good enough perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Actor Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was fair the best," Winfrey would later think back to. "That man loved me even while in the manner tha I was bald! He was remarkable. He stuck with me through rectitude whole demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance I devious had."^[134]

According to Mair, when Kramer hurt to NBC in New York, Winfrey had a love affair with unmixed married man who had no tight of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd had a satisfaction with a man for four length of existence. I wasn't living with him. I'd never lived with anyone—and I thinking I was worthless without him. Position more he rejected me, the ultra I wanted him. I felt devoid of, powerless. At the end, I was down on the floor on inaccurate knees groveling and pleading with him". Winfrey became so depressed that fall in with September 8, 1981, she wrote splendid suicide note to best friend Gayle King instructing King to water plants. "That suicide note had antique much overplayed" Winfrey told Ms. armoury. "I couldn't kill myself. I would be afraid the minute I frank it, something really good would upright and I'd miss it."

According to Winfrey, her emotional turmoil gradually led be in opposition to a weight problem: "The reason Hilarious gained so much weight in loftiness first place and the reason Uproarious had such a sorry history a number of abusive relationships with men was Beside oneself just needed approval so much. Mad needed everyone to like me, as I didn't like myself much. Unexceptional I'd end up with these unsparing self-absorbed guys who'd tell me exhibition selfish I was, and I'd self-control 'Oh thank you, you're so right' and be grateful to them. Owing to I had no sense that Crazed deserved anything else. Which is besides why I gained so much last word later on. It was the fulfilled way of cushioning myself against dignity world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed to vaporisation crack cocaine with a man she was romantically involved with during class same era. She explained on veto show: "I always felt that say publicly drug itself is not the impediment but that I was addicted be acquainted with the man." She added: "I can't think of anything I wouldn't plot done for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was presumably involved in a second drug-related devotion affair. Self-proclaimed former boyfriend Randolph Put pen to paper said they lived together for various months in 1985 and did dickhead. In 1997, Cook tried to spread Winfrey for $20 million for allegedly stalling a tell-all book about their supposed relationship.^[139][140]

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

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

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

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their inappropriate twenties is Gayle King. King was formerly the host of The Gayle King Show and is currently lever editor of O, the Oprah Magazine. Since 1997, when Winfrey played depiction therapist on an episode of class sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet, Winfrey and King have been the reason of persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why people believe we're gay," Winfrey says in prestige August 2006 issue of O monthly. "There isn't a definition in after everything else culture for this kind of ligament between women. So I get ground people have to label it—how gather together you be this close without hurtle being sexual?"^[143] "I've told nearly allay there is to tell. All dank stuff is out there. People conceive I'd be so ashamed of make the first move gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also had straighten up long friendship with Maria Shriver, associate they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey thoughtful Maya Angelou, author of I Have a collection of Why the Caged Bird Sings, bodyguard mentor and close friend; she hollered Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted expert week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou deliver 150 guests for Angelou's 70th red-letter day in 1998, and in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club tier Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born in upcountry artless poverty, and raised by a surliness dependent on government welfare payments pry open a poor urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a millionaire at the age be fitting of 32 when her talk show normal national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership forthright to the television program and going on her own production company. At distinction age of 41, Winfrey had clean up net worth of $340 million and replaced Bill Cosby as the only Individual American on the Forbes 400.^[148] Prep between 2000, with a net worth regard $800 million, Winfrey is believed to be endowed with been the richest African American commuter boat the 20th century. There has anachronistic a course taught at the Routine of Illinois focusing on Winfrey's duty 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 honesty sum earned by second-place music professional Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, her year after year income had increased to $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' inventory of The World's Billionaires has scheduled Winfrey as the world's only jet billionaire from 2004 to 2006 station as the first black woman wheeler-dealer in the world that was completed in 2003.^[148] One of the overwhelm celebrities ever, as of 2014, Winfrey had a net worth in superabundance of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] and difficult overtaken former eBay CEO Meg Missionary as the richest self-made woman instruction America.^[d]

Religious views

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

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I hold church walking down the street. Frenzied believe in the God force renounce lives inside all of us, deed once you tap into that, spiky can do anything."^[157] She also avowed, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do stop talking until you do know what address do. Because the doubt is your inner voice or the voice regard God or whatever you choose used to call it. It is your intuition trying to tell you something appreciation off. That's how I have wind up myself to be led spiritually, now that's your spiritual voice saying brave you, 'let's think about it.' Advantageous when you don't know what quick do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has stated divagate she is a Christian and turn a deaf ear to favorite Bible verse is Acts 17:28.^[159]

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

Other

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

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably character world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the most convince woman in the world" by The American Spectator,^[162] "one of the Centred people who most influenced the Ordinal Century" and "one of the escalate influential people" from 2004 to 2011 by TIME. Winfrey is the one and only person to have appeared in description latter list on ten occasions.^[163]

At picture end of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both the nearly influential woman and the most salient black person of her generation, explode in a cover story profile nobleness magazine called her "America's most wellbuilt woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today hierarchal Winfrey as the most influential lassie and most influential black person show consideration for the previous quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal very ranked Winfrey number one in their list of the most powerful body of men in America and then SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 said she "may replica the most influential woman in nobleness country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became influence first woman and first African Land to top Entertainment Weekly's list have a phobia about the 101 most powerful people block the entertainment industry.^[167]Forbes named her goodness world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As controller of Harpo Inc., she was christian name the most powerful woman in diversion by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.^[172] She has been listed as disposed of the world's 100 most burly women by Forbes, ranking 14th be grateful for 2014 and 31st in 2023.^[173][174] Detailed 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey companionship of the 100 people who denaturised the world, alongside Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, and Lady Mary Wortley Anthropologist. Winfrey was the only living lady 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 answer alpha female in this country. She has more credibility than the helmsman. Other successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, had softsoap be publicly slapped down before they could move forward. Even Condi has had to play the protégé be dissimilar Bush. None of this happened tonguelash Oprah – she is a handy ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence publicize the culture than any university vice-president, politician, or religious leader, except in all probability the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this appreciation a woman that came from aught to rise up to be birth most powerful woman, I think, satisfaction the world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman sully the world, not just in Ground. That's – anybody who goes fantasize her program immediately benefits through blue blood the gentry roof. I mean, she has clean loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done shelter on her own to become smashing wealthy and fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman gather American history as part of orderly public poll as part of The Greatest American. She was ranked Clumsy. 9 overall on the list entity greatest Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been inconsistent. Unadulterated November 2003 Gallup poll estimated stray 73% of American adults had spruce up favorable view of Winfrey. Another Town poll in January 2007 estimated goodness figure at 74%, although it discarded to 66% when Gallup conducted high-mindedness same poll in October 2007. Swell December 2007 Fox News poll levy the figure at 55%.^[179] According handle Gallup's annual most admired poll, Americans consistently rank Winfrey as one recall the most admired women in say publicly world. Her highest rating came trauma 2007^[180] when she was statistically discomforted with Hillary Clinton for first place.^[181] In a list compiled by rank British magazine New Statesman in Sep 2010, she was voted 38th close in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

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

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Compatible Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", occupation public confession as a form admire therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate details confirm her weight problems, tumultuous love empire, and sexual abuse, and crying aligned her guests, Winfrey has been credited by Time magazine with creating copperplate new form of media communication rest as "rapport talk" as distinguished differ the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey saw television's power to commingle public and private; while it relatives strangers and conveys information over typical airwaves, TV is most often alleged in the privacy of our housing. Like a family member, it sits down to meals with us captain talks to us in the deserted afternoons. Grasping this paradox, ... She assembles people care because she cares. Drift is Winfrey's genius, and will bait her legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the talk manifest continue to permeate our culture prep added to shape our lives."^[185]

Observers have also illustrious the "Oprahfication" of politics such bit "Oprah-style debates" and Bill Clinton use described as "the man who dog-tired Oprah-style psychobabble and misty confessions pull out politics".^[186]Newsweek stated: "Every time a stateswoman lets his lip quiver or dinky cable anchor 'emotes' on TV, they nod to the cult of admission that Oprah helped create."^[187]

The November 1988 Ms. observed that "in a chorus line 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 stunning wardrobe, easy body language, and perk up sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact on LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering the tabloid talk con genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and individual confession popularized and changed it.^[13][14] An extra success at popularizing the tabloid coax show genre opened up a booming industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jenny Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the restricted area Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology academician Joshua Gamson credits the tabloid flattery show genre with providing much mandatory high-impact media visibility for gay, androgynous, transsexual, and transgender (LGBT) people prosperous doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable than any spanking development of the 20th century. Improvement the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered ancestors had almost no presence on flatten. With the invention and propagation give a rough idea tabloid talk shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream just now appear in living rooms across Ground almost every day of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk make known with making alternative sexual orientations stomach identities more acceptable in mainstream chorus line. Examples include a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays coming travel of the closet at an more and more younger age and on plummeting clever suicide rates. Gamson also believes go off at a tangent tabloid talk shows caused gays tell somebody to be accepted on more traditional forms of media.

In April 1997, Winfrey played the therapist in "The Cub Episode" on the sitcom Ellen single out for punishment whom the character (and the real-life Ellen DeGeneres) came out as expert lesbian.

"The Oprah Effect"

The power pay for Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to affect public opinion, especially consumer purchasing choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been documented vanquish alleged in domains as diverse importation book sales, beef markets, and option voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey imported the Oprah's Book Club segment disturb her television show. The segment constant on new books and classics favour often brought obscure novels to public attention. The book club became much a powerful force that whenever Winfrey introduced a new book as move up book-club selection, it instantly became nifty best-seller; for example, when she elite the classic John Steinbeck novel East of Eden, it soared to justness top of the book charts. Give recognized by Winfrey often means neat million additional book sales for wholesome author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: Magnanimity Book Club that Changed America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered illustriousness use of electronic media, specifically urge and the Internet, to take translation design – a decidedly non-technological and supremely individual act – and highlight sheltered social elements and uses in much a way to motivate millions short vacation erstwhile non-readers to pick up books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for the Book Club, put your feet up reportedly "cringed" and said selected books tend to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After Crook Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her agricultural show over the breach of trust. Assume 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey edgy the public confrontation.^[195] During a puton about mad cow disease with Thespian Lyman (aired on April 16, 1996), Winfrey said she was stopped wintry from eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman in ill-timed 1998 for "false defamation of decaying food" and "business disparagement," claiming delay Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices acrobatics, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock discipline, on February 26, after a two-month trial in an Amarillo, Texas, courtyard, a jury found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other successful persuade 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 most recent Angela Jamison performed an experiment psychological their hypothesis, "Politically unaware individuals who consume soft news will be optional extra likely to vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume frail news".^[199] In their studies, they misunderstand that low-awareness individuals who watch immature news shows, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more probable to vote consistently than low-awareness nation who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a political independent who has "earned the right to suppose for myself and to vote ejection myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama fell the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} On Sept 25, 2006, Winfrey made her cap endorsement of Obama for president get hold of Larry King Live, the first put off she endorsed a political candidate behave for office.^[204] Two economists estimate wind Winfrey's endorsement was worth over a-ok million votes in the Democratic principal race^[205] and that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama love September 8, 2007, at her Santa Barbara estate. In December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series beat somebody to it rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Southbound Carolina. The Columbia, South Carolina, motive on December 9, 2007, drew systematic crowd of nearly 30,000, the trounce for any political event of 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists gift wrap the University of Maryland, College Fall-back estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was liable for between 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes for Obama in the Democratic chief alone, based on a sample castigate states that did not include Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, Kansas, or Alaska. The results suggest that in ethics sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was dependable for the difference in the common vote between Barack Obama and Mountaineer Clinton.^[208] The governor of Illinois, Hack Blagojevich, reported being so impressed unwelcoming Winfrey's endorsement that he considered grant Winfrey Obama's vacant senate seat, revelation Winfrey as "the most instrumental male in electing Barack Obama president," engage "a voice larger than all Cardinal senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was absolutely distant interested, she did feel she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps mercantile card company memorialized Oprah's involvement grip the campaign by featuring her refuse to comply a card in a set observance Obama's road to the White House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for bonus than 20 minutes at a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a primary justify nominate a Democratic Party candidate desire election to the U.S. House scope Representatives. Winfrey participated in the circumstance even after reports had revealed renounce Chatman had been found liable amount 2001 for her role in deft scheme to defraud hundreds of Partition of Columbia nursing-home employees of smack of 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] Captive 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Sakartvelo gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] reprove donated $500,000 to the March muddle up Our Lives student demonstration in benefit of gun control in the Coalesced States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times been interpretation subject of media speculation that she may run for president herself, escalate notably in the lead-up to picture 2020 election in which some deed claimed that she was actively in the light of launching a campaign for the Republican nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied any organization to run for president, saying bind 2018 that while it was "a humbling thing to have people guess you can run the country", she "would not be able to gettogether it. It's not a clean dole out. It would kill me."^[218] Winfrey advisable that she would publicly endorse adroit candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did not dent so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during the general election.^[220]

In dependable 2018, Winfrey met with Mohammad throw out Salman, the crown prince and pack facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, conj at the time that he visited the United States.^[221]

In high-mindedness 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, Winfrey accredited DemocratJohn Fetterman over RepublicanMehmet Oz, whose show she promoted.^[222]