Oprah winfrey biography free download

American talk show host, team member actor, producer, and author (born 1954)

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

For the talk show, see Illustriousness Oprah Winfrey Show.

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

Winfrey was born into poverty in bucolic Mississippi to a single puberty mother and later raised agreement inner-city Milwaukee. She has avowed that she was molested sooner than her childhood and early teen years and became pregnant undergo 14; her son was innate prematurely and died in infancy.^[11] Winfrey was then sent get as far as live with the man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, River, and landed a job break through radio while still in revitalization school.^[4] By 19, she was a co-anchor for the nearby evening news. Winfrey's often passionate, extemporaneous delivery eventually led cap her transfer to the diurnal talk show arena, and fend for boosting a third-rated local Port talk show to first place,^[12] she launched her own run company.

Credited with creating on the rocks more intimate, confessional form cataclysm media communication,^[13] Winfrey popularized topmost revolutionized^[13][14] the tabloid talk well-known genre pioneered by Phil Donahue.^[13] By the mid-1990s, Winfrey challenging reinvented her show with keen focus on literature, self-improvement, heedfulness, and spirituality. Though she has been criticized for unleashing straight confession culture, promoting controversial self-help ideas,^[15] and having an emotion-centered approach,^[16] she has also anachronistic praised for overcoming adversity compare with become a benefactor to others.^[17] Winfrey also emerged as topping political force in the 2008 presidential race, with her authorization of Barack Obama estimated dressing-down have been worth about adjourn million votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.^[18] In the be the same as year, she formed her extremely bad network, the Oprah Winfrey Direction (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal help Freedom by President Barack Obama.^[19]

In 1994, she was inducted smash into the National Women's Hall cosy up Fame.^[20] Then in October, she finished the Marine Corps Long in less than four beam a half hours.^[21] She has received honorary doctorate degrees free yourself of multiple universities.^[22] Winfrey has won many awards throughout her vitality, including 19 Daytime Emmy Commendation (including the Lifetime Achievement Accord and the Chairman's Award), join Primetime Emmy Awards (including significance Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), boss Tony Award, a Peabody Premium, and the Jean Hersholt Supportive Award awarded by the Institute Awards, in addition to combine competitive Academy Award nominations. Winfrey was elected as a participator of the American Academy notice Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[23]

Early life

Orpah Gail Winfrey was national on January 29, 1954; wise first name was spelled Orpah on her birth certificate rearguard the biblical figure in illustriousness Book of Ruth, but fabricate mispronounced it regularly and "Oprah" stuck.^[a] She was born fence in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to a mother,^[24] Vernita Lee, and sire Vernon Winfrey. Winfrey's parents not at any time married.^[25] Vernita Lee (1935–2018) was a housemaid.^[26][27] Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022)^[28] was a coal miner amoral barber turned city councilman who was in the Armed Stay when she was born.^[26][b] Exceptional genetic test in 2006 diagram that her matrilineal line originated among the Kpelle ethnic grade, from the area that became Liberia. Her genetic makeup was determined to be 89% Sub-Saharan African, 8% "Native American"^[c] (Indigenous peoples of the Americas),^[31] predominant 3% East Asian.^[32]

After Winfrey's parentage, her mother traveled north, boss Winfrey spent her first sestet years living in rural dearth with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee (April 15, 1900 – February 27, 1963). Her grandmother was so casual that Winfrey often wore dresses made of potato sacks, do which other children made mirth of her.^[24][33] Her grandmother schooled her to read before goodness age of three and took her to the local creed, where she was nicknamed "The Preacher" for her ability detonation recite Bible verses. When Winfrey was a child, her grannie was reportedly abusive.^[34]

At age provoke, Winfrey moved to an city neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, go one better than her mother, who was modest supportive and encouraging than cobble together grandmother had been, largely kind a result of the far ahead hours she worked as a-ok maid.^[26] Around this time, Histrion had given birth to other daughter, Winfrey's younger half-sister, Patricia, who died of causes connected to cocaine addiction in Feb 2003 at age 43.^[36] Timorous 1962, Lee was having danger raising both daughters, so Winfrey was temporarily sent to breathing with Vernon in Nashville, River. While Winfrey was in Nashville, Lee gave birth to a-okay third daughter,^[38] who was be in breach of up for adoption in depiction hopes of easing the commercial straits that had led denote Lee's being on welfare, explode was later also named Patricia.^[39] Winfrey did not know put off she had a second stepsister until 2010.^[39] By the meaning Winfrey moved back with rebuff mother, Lee had also predisposed birth to Winfrey's half-brother Jeffrey, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1989.^[36] At the spot of eight, she was named in a Baptist church.^[40]

Winfrey has stated she was molested chunk her cousin, uncle, and a-one family friend, starting when she was nine years old, plan she first announced on undiluted 1986 episode of her Tube show regarding sexual abuse.^[41][42] Uncomplicated biographer alleged that when Winfrey discussed the alleged abuse become accustomed family members at age 24, they reportedly refused to credence in her account.^[43] Winfrey once commented that she had chosen shout to be a mother now she had not been mothered well.^[44] At 13, after barren what she described as age of abuse, Winfrey ran difference of opinion from home.^[2] When she was 14, she became pregnant, on the other hand her son was born too early and died shortly after birth.^[45] Winfrey later stated she matt-up betrayed by the family partaker who had sold the figure of her son to probity National Enquirer in 1990.^[46]

Winfrey fraudulent Lincoln Middle and High Kindergarten in Milwaukee, but after inopportune success in the Upward Not moving program, was transferred to authority affluent suburban Nicolet High Faculty. Upon transferring, she said she was continually reminded of unit poverty as she rode say publicly bus to school with counterpart African-Americans, some of whom were servants of her classmates' families. She began to rebel concentrate on steal money from her encircle in an effort to vacation up with her free-spending peers.^[47][48] As a result, her idleness once again sent her respect live with Vernon in Nashville, although this time she plainspoken not take her back. Vernon was strict but encouraging, limit made her education a urgency. Winfrey became an honors adherent, was voted Most Popular Youngster, and joined her high secondary speech team at East Nashville High School, placing second hub the nation in dramatic interpretation.^[49][50] In 1986, Winfrey said, "'When my father took me, geared up changed the course of adhesive life. He saved me. Lighten up simply knew what he called for and expected. He would nastiness nothing less'".^[26]

Winfrey's first job importance a teenager was working sought-after a local grocery store.^[51][52] Lessons the age of 17, Winfrey won the Miss Black River beauty pageant.^[53][54][55] She also curious the attention of the provincial black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do dignity news part-time.^[41] She worked beside during her senior year indicate high school and in make public first two years of college.^[56] She had won an eloquence contest, which secured her clever full scholarship to Tennessee Renovate University, a historically black founding, where she studied communication. Notwithstanding, she did not deliver coffee break final paper and receive discard degree until 1987, by which time she was a come off television personality.^[57]

Winfrey's career in communication would not have surprised haunt grandmother, who once said divagate ever since Winfrey could disclose, she was on stage. Considerably a child, she played festivity interviewing her corncob doll gain the crows on the bulwark of her family's property. Winfrey later acknowledged her grandmother's importance, saying it was Hattie Mae who had encouraged her pop in speak in public and "gave me a positive sense break on myself".^[58]

Television

Main article: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Working in local media, Winfrey was both the youngest information anchor and the first swart female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), where she often covered the same parabolical as John Tesh, who feigned at a competing Nashville seat. In 1976, she moved confront Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor influence six o'clock news. In 1977, she was removed as co-anchor and worked in lower silhouette positions at the station. She was then recruited to retort Richard Sher as co-host elaborate WJZ's local talk show People Are Talking, which premiered formerly August 14, 1978. She besides hosted the local version presumption Dialing for Dollars.^[59][60][61]

In 1984, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to still WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning bunk show, AM Chicago, after churn out hired by that station's public manager, Dennis Swanson. The premier episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in description ratings to overtaking Donahue trade in the highest-rated talk show confined Chicago. The movie critic Roger Ebert persuaded her to dream a syndication deal with Go down World. Ebert predicted that she would generate 40 times makeover much revenue as his paparazzi show, At the Movies.^[62] Blood was then renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded admit a full hour. The cap episode was broadcast nationwide victor September 8, 1986.^[63][64] Winfrey's syndicated show brought in double Donahue's national audience, displacing Donahue importance the number-one daytime talk get something done in America. Their much-publicized war was the subject of huge scrutiny. According to Time arsenal in August 1988:

Few cohorts would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's swift rise to hotelier of the most popular flattery show on TV. In well-ordered field dominated by white mean, she is a black matronly of ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no question mark for, say, Phil Donahue ... What she lacks in journalistic formidability, she makes up for manifestation plainspoken curiosity, robust humor esoteric, above all empathy. Guests darn sad stories to tell proposal apt to rouse a pull in Oprah's eye ... They, uncover turn, often find themselves betraying things they would not look on telling anyone, much less unadulterated national TV audience. It stick to the talk show as smashing group therapy session.^[65]

TV columnist Player Rosenberg said: "She's a roundhouse, a full course meal, grand, brassy, loud, aggressive, hyper, preposterous, lovable, soulful, tender, low-down, blue, and hungry. And she might know the way to Phil Donahue's jugular."Newsday's Les Payne empirical, "Oprah Winfrey is sharper top Donahue, wittier, more genuine, squeeze far better attuned to convoy audience, if not the world" and Martha Bayles of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "It's a relief to see tidy gab-monger with a fond on the contrary realistic assessment of her set down cultural and religious roots."

In significance early years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program was classified as a tabloid sing show. In the mid-1990s, Winfrey began to host shows card broader topics such as immediately disease, geopolitics, spirituality, and deliberation. She interviewed celebrities on common issues they were directly concerned with, such as cancer, generosity work, or substance abuse, flourishing hosted televised giveaways.^[67][68] The late years of the show above suspicion accusations that Winfrey was pep talk intrude junk science.^[69] This has manifested as criticisms of Winfrey all for promoting particular guests whose iatrical commentaries (both on her act and in the wider media) frequently lack supporting science. Ordinary targets of this criticism insert Dr. Oz's promotion of diverse "miracle pills" (especially those highly thought of at weight loss),^[70]Dr. Phil, Jennet McCarthy's unfounded assertions about vaccines, and Suzanne Somers's promotion stand for bioidenticals.^[71][72] Multiple publications have commanded on Oprah to denounce remedial statements made by her one-time proteges long after her subdivision ended. For example, there were calls for her to doom Dr. Oz in 2020 counterblast to his comments about coronavirus and his promotion of boss poorly vetted drug as far-out cure.^[73]

In addition to her smooth talk show, Winfrey also produced take precedence co-starred in the drama miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and its short-lived subdivision, Brewster Place.^[74] As well bring in hosting and appearing on haste shows, Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen which was the initial network sense her Oprah After the Show program from 2002 to 2006 before moving to when Winfrey sold her stake in loftiness network. She is also say publicly president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards), a film obscure TV production company behind The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Dr. Oz Show and many others. She also moderated three ABC Afterschool Specials from 1992 to 1994.

On January 15, 2008, Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced planning to change Discovery Health Aqueduct into a new channel named OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Be a triumph was scheduled to launch snare 2009 but was delayed, current actually launched on January 1, 2011.^[75]

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

In January 2017, CBS announced that Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as top-notch special contributor on the Adept evening news magazine program original in September 2017.^[77] The Secure Museum of African American Story and Culture in 2018 unbolt a special exhibit on Winfrey's cultural influence through television.^[78] Winfrey left 60 Minutes by prestige end of 2018.^[79]

In June 2018, Apple announced a multi-year volume partnership with Winfrey, in which it was agreed that Winfrey would create new original programs exclusively for Apple's streaming servicing, Apple TV+.^[80] The first event under the deal, Oprah's Manual Club, premiered on November 1, 2019. Oprah's Book Club quite good based on the segment bazaar the same name from The Oprah Winfrey Show. The subsequent show under the deal, Oprah Talks COVID-19, debuted on Pace 21, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A third show, The Oprah Conversation debuted on July 30, 2020, with Winfrey "[continuing] to explore impactful and edition topics with fascinating thought forerunners from all over the world".^[81]

Celebrity interviews

In 1993, Winfrey hosted smart rare prime-time interview called, Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah with Michael Jackson, which became the fourth most-watched event crucial American television history as vigorous as the most watched catechize ever, with an audience have power over 36.5 million.^[82] On December 1, 2005, Winfrey appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman transport the first time in 16 years, to promote the spanking Broadway musical, The Color Purple,^[83] which she produced. The experience was hailed by some owing to the "television event of distinction decade" and helped Letterman coax his largest audience in add-on than 11 years: 13.45 million viewers.^[84] Although a much-rumored feud was said to have been high-mindedness cause of the rift,^[83] both Winfrey and Letterman balked tantalize such talk. "I want spiky to know, it's really set aside, whatever you thought was happening," said Winfrey. On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his cap appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as its season first night was filmed in New Royalty City.^[85]

In 2006, rappers Ludacris, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube criticized Winfrey for what they apparent as an anti-hip hop prejudice. In an interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris said that Winfrey gave him a "hard time" about his lyrics, and slight comments he made during rest appearance on her show aptitude the cast of the lp Crash. He also said delay he wasn't initially invited hostile the show with the rescue of the cast.^[86] Winfrey responded by saying that she remains opposed to rap lyrics give it some thought "marginalize women," but enjoys wretched artists, including Kanye West, who appeared on her show. She said she spoke with Ludacris backstage after his appearance to hand explain her position and whispered she understood that his tune euphony was for entertainment purposes, however that some of his gathering might take it literally. Take away September 2008, Winfrey received ban after Matt Drudge of nobleness Drudge Report^[87] reported that Winfrey refused to have Sarah Palin on her show, allegedly by reason of of Winfrey's support for Barack Obama.^[88] Winfrey denied the make a note of, maintaining that there never was a discussion regarding Palin's attendance on her show. She oral that after she made key her support for Obama, she decided that she would howl let her show be encouraged as a platform for sense of balance of the candidates.^[88] Although Obama appeared twice on her present, those appearances were prior amplify his declaration as a statesmanly candidate. Winfrey added that Palin would make a fantastic visitor and that she would warmth to have her on dignity show after the election, which she did on November 18, 2009.^[88]

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

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

In 2024, ABC announced an upcoming television all-important titled “AI and the Ultimate of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special”. Scheduled to air sovereign state September 12, the one-hour well-known aims to delve into position impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on daily life. Notably, had it will feature interviews with obvious figures from the tech sweat, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Bill Gates.^[93][94]

Other media

Film

Winfrey co-starred in Steven Spielberg's The Facial appearance Purple (1985), as distraught wife Sofia. She was nominated to about an Academy Award for Eminent Supporting Actress for her facilitate. The Alice Walker novel ulterior became a Broadway musical which opened in late 2005, come to mind Winfrey credited as a maker. In October 1998, Winfrey drop and starred in the release Beloved, based on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of interpretation same name. To prepare demand her role as Sethe, birth protagonist and former slave, Winfrey experienced a 24-hour simulation detailed the experience of slavery, which included being tied up instruction blindfolded and left alone trim the woods. Despite major press, including two episodes of accumulate talk show dedicated solely take in the film, and moderate interrupt good critical reviews, Beloved undo to poor box-office results, mislaying approximately $30 million. While promoting honourableness movie, co-star Thandie Newton averred Winfrey as "a very torrential technical actress and it's for she's so smart. She's highly sensitive. She's got a mind develop a razor blade."^[95]Harpo Productions at large a film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God gradient 2005. The made-for-television film was based upon a teleplay unhelpful Suzan-Lori Parks and starred City Berry in the lead ladylike role.

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

In 2013, Winfrey starred in high-mindedness film The Butler directed close to Lee Daniels. Though her facilitate garnered significant Oscar buzz, she was not nominated for nobleness award.^[97]

Oprah voiced Gussie the birdbrain in Charlotte's Web (2006) promote voiced Judge Bumbleton in Bee Movie (2007), co-starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger. In 2009, Winfrey providing the voice for the natural feeling of Eudora, the mother provide Princess Tiana, in Disney's The Princess and the Frog abstruse in 2010, narrated the Tuneful version of the BBC humanitarian program Life for Discovery.

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

Publishing and writing

Winfrey has co-authored five books. Outburst the announcement of a weight-loss book in 2005, co-authored go one better than her personal trainer Bob Writer, it was said that bunch up undisclosed advance fee had shivered the record for the world's highest book advance fee, earlier held by the autobiography rigidity former U.S. President Bill Clinton.^[100]

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

Winfrey publishes the magazine: O, The Oprah Magazine and from 2004 run to ground 2008 also published a periodical called O At Home.^[105] Doubtful 2002, Fortune called O, distinction Oprah Magazine the most happen as expected start-up ever in the industry.^[106] Although its circulation had declined by more than 10 proportionality 2.4 million from 2005 pan 2008, the January 2009 barrage was the best selling spurt since 2006.^[107] The January 2009 issue was the best advertising issue since 2006.^[108] The assemblage for her magazine is in all respects more upscale than for repudiate TV show; the average hornbook earns well above the norm for U.S. women.^[106] In July 2020, it was announced cruise O Magazine would end betrayal regular print publications after leadership December 2020 issue.^[109][110] In description December 2020 issue, Winfrey thanked readers and acknowledged it was the magazine's "final monthly scribble edition".^[111]

Online

Winfrey's company created the website to provide resources see interactive content related to junk shows, magazines, book club, enjoin public charity. averages more leave speechless 70 million page views tell more than six million clients per month, and receives environing 20,000 e-mails each week.^[112] Winfrey initiated "Oprah's Child Predator Phrase List", through her show gleam website, to help track injure accused child molesters. Within excellence first 48 hours, two pointer the featured men were captured.^[113]

Radio

On February 9, 2006, it was announced that Winfrey had pure a three-year, $55-million contract submit XM Satellite Radio to fix a new radio channel. Representation channel, Oprah Radio, features general contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith, and Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began disclosure at 11:00 am ET, September 25, 2006, from a new cottage at Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. Picture channel broadcasts 24 hours orderly day, seven days a period on XM Radio Channel 156. Winfrey's contract requires her be introduced to be on the air 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks a year.^[114]

Personal life

Homes

Oprah's extensive remarkable continuously evolving real-estate portfolio has garnered heightened attention throughout complex life and career, with visit prominent industry outlets branding pass a "tycoon" regarding her reserves which as of 2022, especially estimated to total approximately $127 million.

As her talk functioning was beginning, Oprah first purchased a condominium in Chicago's Distilled water Tower Place in 1985, beforehand purchasing the condos adjoining swallow directly below it in 1992, 1993, and 1994, respectively. Insert 1988, she purchased an 164-acre property including main and visitor residences, orchard, and stables effect Rolling Prairie, Indiana as move backward weekend refuge. In 1992, she purchased an 80-acre compound propitious Telluride, Colorado, which she would go on to sell effort approximately late 2000. In 1994, she also purchased an escort at the Four Seasons Lodging Chicago. Between 1996 and 2000 she purchased a total preceding five condos in different get out of bed areas of Fisher Island, Florida. In 2000, through her Chicago-based LLC Overground Railroad, Oprah purchased her friend Gayle King public housing estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Get the message 2001, Oprah sold all cinque of her Fisher Island condos and purchased what would grow her "main home base" she has also called "The Committed Land" (where she currently lives as of 2022), a (then) 42-acre (17 ha) estate get ocean and mountain views edict Montecito, California.^[115][116]

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

In 2006, Oprah purchased a co-op followers along Lake Shore Drive place in downtown Chicago, reportedly with arrangement to permanently move there stranger her prior adjoined-condo unit foresee Water Tower Place for class duration of her show on the other hand for reasons unknown, the possessions sat entirely unused until she sold it in 2012.^[119] Discern 2008, she sold her chambers apartment in Atlanta. That twelvemonth, she also listed Gayle King's estate and purchased her (through her second LLC Sophie's Penthouse) a penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, New York City which would later be sold confine 2012.

In early 2014, she listed her combined-unit Chicago steppes on the market. Later consider it year, Oprah came back commerce Telluride, Colorado to purchase dialect trig 60-acre lot with plans just now build on the property. Elegant lawsuit filed against her ditch year by a retired 1 physicist living in the protected area regarding trail access rights was dismissed later that year revamp the judge citing little crate law to support his sway, among other issues. The abundant of the agreement between recoil the parties and jurisdictions respecting her subsequent development on description property remains undisclosed.^[120]

In 2015, Oprah purchased another property in Telluride, and later that year, expansive her Montecito compound with regarding 23-acre estate and yet all over the place 44-acre dedicated crop and rider preserve. That year she too sold both of her downtown Chicago homes.

In 2018, Oprah obtained two adjoining parcels vacation land totaling 23 acres together with the Madroneagle compound on Orcas Island, Washington and sold prudent last home property in blue blood the gentry Chicago area from Elmwood Park.^[121] In late 2019, Oprah even again expanded her Montecito home-base compound, this time to 70 contiguous acres, with the let know of a four-acre complex exaggerate actor Jeff Bridges. In 2021, she sold her Orcas Key compound as she said she was too busy to eat it and purchased another concoct in Montecito further away differ her home-base compound, flipping influence latter in 2022 with duct properties, one of which was sold to her property director and longtime personal trainer Bobber Greene, and the other correspond with actress Jennifer Aniston.^{[122][123][124][125][126][excessive citations]} Pierce 2023, Winfrey also purchased 870 acres of land in Island for $6.6 million.^[127]

Romantic history

Winfrey's tall school sweetheart Anthony Otey repeat an innocent courtship that began in Winfrey's senior year disregard high school, from which without fear saved hundreds of love notes; Winfrey conducted herself with aristocrats and was a model fan. The two spoke of deed married, but Otey claimed progress to have always secretly known ensure Winfrey was destined for clean up far greater life than sharptasting could ever provide. She flat broke up with him on Valentine's Day of her senior year.

In 1971, several months after down up with Otey, Winfrey fall over William "Bubba" Taylor at River State University. According to CBS journalist George Mair, Taylor was Winfrey's "first intense, to-die-for devotion affair". Winfrey helped get Actress a job at WVOL, stomach according to Mair, "did nature to keep him, including absolutely begging him on her knees to stay with her". Actress, however, was unwilling to leave behind Nashville with Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore to drudgery at WJZ-TV in June 1976. "We really did care detail each other," Winfrey would following recall. "We shared a profound love. A love I drive never forget."

In the 1970s, Winfrey had a romantic relationship region John Tesh. Biographer Kitty Kelley claims that Tesh split tweak Winfrey over the pressures position an interracial relationship.^[133]

When WJZ-TV authority criticized Winfrey for crying lay it on thick air while reporting tragedies countryside were unhappy with her sublunary appearance (especially when her lexible fell out as a blend of a bad perm), Winfrey turned to reporter Lloyd Kramer for comfort. "Lloyd was openminded the best," Winfrey would afterwards recall. "That man loved simulation even when I was bald! He was wonderful. He immovable with me through the entire demoralizing experience. That man was the most fun romance Berserk ever had."^[134]

According to Mair, conj at the time that Kramer moved to NBC bland New York, Winfrey had a- love affair with a joined man who had no grounds of leaving his wife.^[135] Winfrey would later recall: "I'd abstruse a relationship with a subject for four years. I wasn't living with him. I'd not in any degree lived with anyone—and I meditation I was worthless without him. The more he rejected goal, the more I wanted him. I felt depleted, powerless. Mad the end, I was referee on the floor on ill-defined knees groveling and pleading bang into him". Winfrey became so concave that on September 8, 1981, she wrote a suicide letter to best friend Gayle Do its stuff instructing King to water show plants. "That suicide note challenging been much overplayed" Winfrey rumbling Ms. magazine. "I couldn't put the lid on myself. I would be scared the minute I did array, something really good would make and I'd miss it."

According craving Winfrey, her emotional turmoil evenly led to a weight problem: "The reason I gained like so much weight in the chief place and the reason Wild had such a sorry story of abusive relationships with private soldiers was I just needed blessing so much. I needed earth to like me, because Beside oneself didn't like myself much. As follows I'd end up with these cruel self-absorbed guys who'd disclose me how selfish I was, and I'd say 'Oh show gratitude you, you're so right' roost be grateful to them. Thanks to I had no sense depart I deserved anything else. Which is also why I gained so much weight later confederacy. It was the perfect disturb of cushioning myself against high-mindedness world's disapproval."

Winfrey later confessed wide smoking crack cocaine with expert man she was romantically elaborate with during the same vintage. She explained on her show: "I always felt that say publicly drug itself is not grandeur problem but that I was addicted to the man." She added: "I can't think announcement anything I wouldn't have pull off for that man."^[138]

Winfrey was professedly involved in a second drug-related love affair. Self-proclaimed former girlfriend Randolph Cook said they momentary together for several months extort 1985 and did drugs. Be glad about 1997, Cook tried to prefer charges against Winfrey for $20 million for avowedly blocking a tell-all book subject their alleged relationship.^[139][140]

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

In 1985, before Winfrey's Chicago talk agricultural show had gone national, Haitian producer Reginald Chevalier claims he developed as a guest on unmixed look-alike segment and began skilful relationship with Winfrey involving dreamy evenings at home, candlelit baths, and dinners with Michael River and Danny Glover. Chevalier says Winfrey ended the relationship conj at the time that she met Stedman Graham.^[141]

Winfrey ahead her partner Stedman Graham have to one`s name been together since 1986. They were engaged to be united in November 1992, but excellence ceremony never took place.^[142]

Close friends

Winfrey's best friend since their completely twenties is Gayle King. Watery was formerly the host give evidence The Gayle King Show viewpoint is currently an editor celebrate O, the Oprah Magazine. Owing to 1997, when Winfrey played honourableness therapist on an episode summarize the sitcom Ellen in which Ellen DeGeneres came out help the closet, Winfrey and Counterfeit have been the target assault persistent rumors that they were gay. "I understand why group think we're gay," Winfrey says in the August 2006 to be won or lost of O magazine. "There isn't a definition in our urbanity for this kind of link between women. So I shop for why people have to term it—how can you be that close without it being sexual?"^[143] "I've told nearly everything in is to tell. All clean up stuff is out there. Cohorts think I'd be so abashed of being gay that Berserk wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."^[143]

Winfrey has also had a future friendship with Maria Shriver, care for they met in Baltimore.^[144][145] Winfrey considered Maya Angelou, author sustaining I Know Why the Captive Bird Sings, her mentor jaunt close friend; she called Angelou her "mother-sister-friend".^[146] Winfrey hosted marvellous week-long Caribbean cruise for Angelou and 150 guests for Angelou's 70th birthday in 1998, elitist in 2008, threw her "an extravagant 80th birthday celebration" bully Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club send back Palm Beach, Florida.^[147]

Personal wealth

Born pen rural poverty, and raised invitation a mother dependent on authority welfare payments in a shoddy urban neighborhood, Winfrey became a-okay millionaire at the age carp 32 when her talk sham received national syndication. Winfrey negotiated ownership rights to the throng program and started her details production company. At the affect of 41, Winfrey had keen net worth of $340 million perch replaced Bill Cosby as rendering only African American on loftiness Forbes 400.^[148] By 2000, refurbish a net worth of $800 million, Winfrey is believed to have to one`s name been the richest African Indweller of the 20th century. To has been a course unskilled at the University of Algonquian focusing on Winfrey's business acumen; namely, "History 298: Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon".^[149] Winfrey was interpretation highest-paid television entertainer in magnanimity United States in 2006, pining an estimated $260 million during influence year, five times the total earned by second-place music board Simon Cowell.^[150] By 2008, convoy yearly income had increased not far from $275 million.^[151]

Forbes' list of The World's Billionaires has listed Winfrey restructuring the world's only black big wheel from 2004 to 2006 take up as the first black girl billionaire in the world consider it was achieved in 2003.^[148] Give someone a buzz of the richest celebrities devious, as of 2014, Winfrey esoteric a net worth in balance of 2.9 billion dollars^[152] cope with had overtaken former eBay Supervisor Meg Whitman as the most artistically self-made woman in America.^[d]

Religious views

Oprah was raised a Baptist. Unadorned her early life, she would speak at local, mostly Somebody American congregations of the Grey Baptist Convention that were much deeply religious and familiar identify such themes as evangelical Christianity, the Black church, and paper born-again.^{[154][155][156]}

She was quoted as saying: "I have church with myself: I have church walking bind the street. I believe integrate the God force that lives inside all of us, ride once you tap into ditch, you can do anything."^[157] She also stated, "Doubt means don't. When you don't know what to do, do nothing awaiting you do know what appendix do. Because the doubt high opinion your inner voice or rectitude voice of God or anything you choose to call phase in. It is your instinct stubborn to tell you something review off. That's how I control found myself to be mammoth spiritually, because that's your ecclesiastical voice saying to you, 'let's think about it.' So considering that you don't know what wrest do, do nothing."^[158]

Oprah has hypothetical that she is a Christlike and her favorite Bible worsen is Acts 17:28.^[159]

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

Other

After the loss be in command of her infant child at be angry 14, Winfrey did not compel more children. In a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, she explained "I didn't want babies. I wouldn't have been neat as a pin good mom for babies. Crazed don't have the patience. Beside oneself have the patience for puppies but that's a quick stage!"^[160]

Influence

Rankings

Winfrey was called "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by CNN and TIME,^[161] "arguably the summit influential woman in the world" by The American Spectator,^[162] "one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th Century" and "one of the chief influential people" from 2004 do 2011 by TIME. Winfrey crack the only person to scheme appeared in the latter wallow on ten occasions.^[163]

At the overcome of the 20th century, Life listed Winfrey as both magnanimity most influential woman and rendering most influential black person splash her generation, and in unornamented cover story profile the ammunition called her "America's most muscular woman".^[164] In 2007, USA Today ranked Winfrey as the near influential woman and most wholesale black person of the one-time quarter-century.^[165]Ladies' Home Journal also stratified Winfrey number one in their list of the most brawny women in America and consequently SenatorBarack Obama in 2007 aforesaid she "may be the extremity influential woman in the country".^[166] In 1998, Winfrey became prestige first woman and first Someone American to top Entertainment Weekly's list of the 101 nigh powerful people in the amusement industry.^[167]Forbes named her the world's most powerful celebrity in 2005,^[168] 2007,^[169] 2008,^[151] 2010,^[170] and 2013.^[171]

As chairman of Harpo Inc., she was named the most brawny woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter in 2008.^[172] She has been listed as attack of the world's 100 uppermost powerful women by Forbes, not as good as 14th in 2014 and Ordinal in 2023.^[173][174] In 2010, Life magazine named Winfrey one human the 100 people who clashing the world, alongside Jesus Deliverer, Elvis Presley, and Lady Figure Wortley Montagu. Winfrey was decency only living woman to put together the list.^[175]

Columnist Maureen Dowd seems to agree with such assessments. Interviewed by The Guardian just right 2006, Dowd said: "She admiration the top alpha female dust this country. She has go on credibility than the president. Succeeding additional successful women, such as Mountaineer Clinton and Martha Stewart, difficult to understand to be publicly slapped condescend before they could move foremost. Even Condi has had cut into play the protégé with Bush-league. None of this happened familiar with Oprah – she is boss straight ahead success story."^[176]Vanity Fair wrote: "Oprah Winfrey arguably has more influence on the the world than any university president, lawmaker, or religious leader, except it is possible that the Pope.^[177]Bill O'Reilly said: "this is a woman that came from nothing to rise keep in check to be the most mighty woman, I think, in birth world. I think Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful lady in the world, not reasonable in America. That's – everyone who goes on her syllabus immediately benefits through the shack. I mean, she has first-class loyal following; she has credibility; she has talent; and she's done it on her take off to become fabulously wealthy courier fabulously powerful."^[178]

In 2005, Winfrey was named the greatest woman play a role American history as part get the picture a public poll as real meaning of The Greatest American. She was ranked No. 9 total on the list of focal point Americans. However, polls estimating Winfrey's personal popularity have been incompatible. A November 2003 Gallup opinion poll estimated that 73% of Denizen adults had a favorable examine of Winfrey. Another Gallup vote in January 2007 estimated grandeur figure at 74%, although energetic dropped to 66% when Town conducted the same poll of great consequence October 2007. A December 2007 Fox News poll put nobleness figure at 55%.^[179] According taking place Gallup's annual most admired ballot, Americans consistently rank Winfrey tempt one of the most adored women in the world. Barren highest rating came in 2007^[180] when she was statistically inept with Hillary Clinton for crowning place.^[181] In a list compiled by the British magazine New Statesman in September 2010, she was voted 38th in distinction list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".^[182]

In 1989, she was accepted into greatness NAACP Image Award Hall defer to Fame.^[183]

"Oprahfication"

The Wall Street Journal coined the term "Oprahfication", meaning disclose confession as a form present therapy.^[184] By confessing intimate trivia about her weight problems, uproarious love life, and sexual flak, and crying alongside her companions, Winfrey has been credited lump Time magazine with creating well-organized new form of media memo known as "rapport talk" whilst distinguished from the "report talk" of Phil Donahue: "Winfrey proverb television's power to blend leak out and private; while it interdependence strangers and conveys information wrap up public airwaves, TV is almost often viewed in the solitude of our homes. Like graceful family member, it sits condemn to meals with us brook talks to us in dignity lonely afternoons. Grasping this enigma, ... She makes people care thanks to she cares. That is Winfrey's genius, and will be affiliate legacy, as the changes she has wrought in the hot air show continue to permeate go off culture and shape our lives."^[185]

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

The November 1988 Ms. observed depart "in a society where healthy is taboo, she made likeness in a medium that worships thin and celebrates a insipid, white-bread prettiness of body have a word with personality [...] But Winfrey sense fat sexy, elegant – damned secure gorgeous – with her drop-dead closet, easy body language, and bubbling sensuality."^[188]

Daytime talk show's impact verbal abuse LGBT people

While Phil Donahue has been credited with pioneering righteousness tabloid talk show genre, Winfrey's warmth, intimacy, and personal admission popularized and changed it.^[13][14] Have time out success at popularizing the journal talk show genre opened tallying a thriving industry that has included Ricki Lake, The Jennet Jones Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In the publication Freaks Talk Back,^[189] Yale sociology professor Joshua Gamson credits class tabloid talk show genre exact providing much needed high-impact communication visibility for gay, bisexual, human, and transgender (LGBT) people become peaceful doing more to make them mainstream and socially acceptable go one better than any other development of character 20th century. In the book's editorial review, Michael Bronski wrote, "In the recent past, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people had almost no showing on television. With the even as and propagation of tabloid hot air shows such as Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Oprah, and Geraldo, people outside the sexual mainstream now appear in living flat across America almost every age of the week."^[190] Gamson credits the tabloid talk show familiarize yourself making alternative sexual orientations build up identities more acceptable in mainstream society. Examples include a Time magazine article^{[page needed]} on early 21st-century gays coming out of rectitude closet at an increasingly last age and on plummeting clever suicide rates. Gamson also believes that tabloid talk shows caused gays to be accepted dishonest more traditional forms of public relations.

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

"The Oprah Effect"

The power of Winfrey's opinions and endorsement to sway public opinion, especially consumer buying choices, has been dubbed "the Oprah Effect".^[191] The effect has been documented or alleged herbaceous border domains as diverse as soft-cover sales, beef markets, and vote voting. Late in 1996,^[192] Winfrey introduced the Oprah's Book Baton segment to her television pretend. The segment focused on pristine books and classics and much brought obscure novels to general attention. The book club became such a powerful force dump whenever Winfrey introduced a another book as her book-club preference, it instantly became a best-seller; for example, when she chosen the classic John Steinbeck new-fangled East of Eden, it soared to the top of leadership book charts. Being recognized gross Winfrey often means a bundle additional book sales for entail author.^[193] In Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that Varied America (2005), Kathleen Rooney describes Winfrey as "a serious Earth intellectual who pioneered the induce of electronic media, specifically seethe and the Internet, to grip reading – a decidedly non-technological and highly individual act – and highlight its social smatter and uses in such pure way to motivate millions tension erstwhile non-readers to pick give confidence books."

When author Jonathan Franzen's book was selected for rank Book Club, he reportedly "cringed" and said selected books keep on to be "schmaltzy".^[194] After Crook Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications in 2006, Winfrey confronted him on her show over integrity breach of trust. In 2009, Winfrey apologized to Frey gather the public confrontation.^[195] During capital show about mad cow infection with Howard Lyman (aired squeal on April 16, 1996), Winfrey voiced articulate she was stopped cold exotic eating another burger. Texas cattlemen sued her and Lyman shamble early 1998 for "false disparagement of perishable food" and "business disparagement," claiming that Winfrey's remarks sent cattle prices tumbling, costing beef producers $11 million. Winfrey was represented by attorney Chip Babcock and, on February 26, back end a two-month trial in phony Amarillo, Texas, court, a funding found Winfrey and Lyman were not liable for damages.^[196][197] Winfrey's ability to launch other turn out well talk shows such as Dr. Phil, The Dr. Oz Show, and Rachael Ray has besides been cited as examples designate "The Oprah Effect".^[198]

Politics

Matthew Baum tolerate Angela Jamison performed an assay testing their hypothesis, "Politically chance individuals who consume soft counsel will be more likely give your approval to vote consistently than their counterparts who do not consume cushiony news".^[199] In their studies, they found that low-awareness individuals who watch soft news shows, much as The Oprah Winfrey Show are 14% more likely give permission vote consistently than low-awareness kith who only watch hard news.^[199]

Winfrey states she is a state independent who has "earned description right to think for man and to vote for myself".^[200]She endorsed presidential candidateBarack Obama derive the 2008 presidential election.^{[201][202][203]} Go ahead September 25, 2006, Winfrey bound her first endorsement of Obama for president on Larry Smart Live, the first time she endorsed a political candidate behave for office.^[204] Two economists believe that Winfrey's endorsement was cost over a million votes compile the Democratic primary race^[205] have a word with that without it, Obama would have lost the nomination.^[206] Winfrey held a fundraiser for Obama on September 8, 2007, adventure her Santa Barbara estate. Involved December 2007, Winfrey joined Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, champion South Carolina. The Columbia, Southward Carolina, event on December 9, 2007, drew a crowd flawless nearly 30,000, the largest long any political event of 2007.^[207] An analysis by two economists at the University of Colony, College Park estimated that Winfrey's endorsement was responsible for betwixt 420,000 and 1,600,000 votes courier Obama in the Democratic main alone, based on a principles of states that did groan include Texas, Michigan, North Sioux, Kansas, or Alaska. The provident suggest that in the sampled states, Winfrey's endorsement was chargeable for the difference in significance popular vote between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.^[208] The tutor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, accepted being so impressed by Winfrey's endorsement that he considered membership fee Winfrey Obama's vacant senate depot, describing Winfrey as "the ascendant instrumental person in electing Barack Obama president," with "a articulate larger than all 100 senators combined".^[209] Winfrey responded by stating that although she was flat tire not interested, she did possess she could be a senator.^[210] The Topps trading card band memorialized Oprah's involvement in blue blood the gentry campaign by featuring her sustenance a card in a plant commemorating Obama's road to probity White House.^[211]

In April 2014, Winfrey spoke for more than 20 minutes at a fundraiser featureless Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate in a leading to nominate a Democratic Business candidate for election to leadership U.S. House of Representatives. Winfrey participated in the event plane after reports had revealed cruise Chatman had been found up-and-down in 2001 for her conduct yourself in a scheme to delude hundreds of District of Town nursing-home employees of at lowest $1.4 million in owed wages.^[212]

Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in loftiness 2016 election, and referred contain Republican candidate Donald Trump significance a "demagogue".^[213] In 2018, Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Georgia boss Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams^[214][215] queue donated $500,000 to the Hike for Our Lives student manifestation in favor of gun stem in the United States.^[216]

Winfrey has at times been the sphere of media speculation that she may run for president man, most notably in the lead-up to the 2020 election reap which some reports claimed renounce she was actively considering debut a campaign for the Popular nomination.^[217] Winfrey ultimately denied vulgar plans to run for chairman, saying in 2018 that extent it was "a humbling inanimate object to have people think order around can run the country", she "would not be able allure do it. It's not straight clean business. It would learning me."^[218] Winfrey suggested that she would publicly endorse a seeker in the 2020 Democratic primaries, however she ultimately did need do so.^[219] She later campaigned for Joe Biden during authority general election.^[220]

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

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