Tag: Oprah

Categories
Health

Oprah Winfrey Says Gayle King Is Receiving Death Threats Over That Kobe Bryant Interview


Oprah Winfrey is defending best friend Gayle King in the wake of her controversial interview about the late Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January.

On February 5, King received backlash from viewers for asking WNBA star Lisa Leslie about a sexual assault accusation made against Bryant in 2003. For the CBS This Morning segment on Bryant’s legacy, King asked Leslie if she felt, as a woman and a basketball player, that the case complicated his contributions. “It’s not complicated for me at all,” Leslie responded. “I have [never] seen him being the kind of person that would do something to violate a woman or be aggressive in that way. That’s just not the person that I know.

“I think the media should be more respectful at this time,” Leslie continued. “It’s like, if you had questions about it, you’ve had many years to ask him that. I don’t think it’s something that we should keep hanging out his legacy.”

[embedded content]

After an onslaught of furious reactions from fans and celebrities like Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, King took to Instagram to explain that CBS had edited the interview in a way she did not approve of. “I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” King said on IGTV. “I am mortified, I am embarrassed, and I am very angry.

“For the network to take the most salacious part, when taken out of context, and put it online for people who didn’t see the whole interview is very upsetting to me. That’s something that I’ll have to deal with with them,” she said. “There will be a very intense discussion about that.”

On February 7, Oprah Winfrey—King’s longtime friend—gave an update on the situation on the Today show.

“She is not doing well,” a tearful Winfrey revealed. “She has now death threats, has to now travel with security, and she’s feeling very much attacked. You know, Bill Cosby is tweeting from jail.

“In the context of the interview, everyone seemed fine, including Lisa Leslie,” Winfrey continued, defending King’s line of questioning. “And it was only because somebody at the network put up that clip. And I can see how people would obviously be very upset if you thought that Gayle was just trying to press to get an answer from Lisa Leslie.” Winfrey also warned against “misogynist vitriol” and online attacks.

“Obviously all things pass, she will be okay,” Winfrey said. “But she hasn’t slept in two days.”





Source link

Categories
Health

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Opened Up to Oprah About Their Infertility Struggle


Actress Gabrielle Union and husband Dwyane Wade have been incredibly forthright about their experience trying to have a child, from experiencing close to 10 miscarriages to the years-long battle with trying to get pregnant. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant—I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” she wrote in her memoir. In November, they welcomed their first daughter, Kaavia James, who was born via surrogate. And in an exclusive interview with Oprah that aired on OWN, the Union-Wade parents recounted their struggle in the hopes of increasing awareness and visibility around infertility.

Union and Wade wanted to share their story to help those who are dealing with infertility “feel seen,” according to Union: “They feel like they’re not alone,” she told Oprah.

The couple recounted their experience going through IVF—having embryos implanted and take, only to miscarry; trying again and again, thinking “you work hard, you do the right things, you’re a good person,” as Union put it. She “could not let go of this idea of creating this life within me,” she added, feeling there was a “need to be pregnant for everybody, including myself.”

Wade would get concerned about Union: “I’m watching her do things to her body and to herself that it’s getting to the point where it’s not healthy,” he told Oprah. “And as I always told her: ‘I want this baby just as much as you do, but I married you, and you are the most important thing to me.’ So it came to a point where, you know, I started to feel a certain way about that because I didn’t want something to happen to her.'”

Eventually, the Union-Wades opted for a surrogate—though, Union said she still struggles with her feelings around using one: “Did I miss—did I fail in some kind of way? Did I—am I defective in some kind of deep, you know, just—am I defective in some kind of way? Am I less than in some kind of way? Am I less worthy in some kind of way?”

[embedded content]

The couple was involved throughout their surrogate’s entire pregnancy, “trying to feel as a part of the birth process as possible, since it’s happening outside of both of us. But it’s been a long—a long journey,” Union said. They were at the hospital when their surrogate was in labor, and described the experience of being in the delivery room with her and her husband as deeply bonding.

“Everyone’s journey is different. Everyone’s journey to surrogacy is different,” Union said. By being open about their journey, the Union-Wades want to spark hope in couples going through similar circumstances— and break some of the stigma that still surrounds infertility.

“So many people are suffering in silence and every time, when we’re candid and transparent about our journeys, no matter what those journeys are, you are allowing people to be seen and heard and empowered in ways that they’ve never been,” Union told Oprah.

Since the show aired on OWN, people have taken to social media to praise the couple for their honesty and for bringing attention to this incredibly personal subject.

“Oprah and @itsgabrielleu are really on OWN discussing Black women’s infertility, painful periods, and seeking help instead of suffering in silence. What a time,” Evette Dionne wrote on Twitter.

“WOW! I just watched @itsgabrielleu & @dwyanewade special on @owntv and I was soo inspired by their story!I laughed, I cried, I learned so much… my spirit was truly moved,” actress Naturi Naughton shared on Instagram.

“I appreciate how @itsgabrielleu showed us the potential challenges of egg freezing on @beingmaryjane and then shared so much about @DwyaneWade and her personal journey with IVF on @OWNTV. Thank you! Learned a lot from both,” another user posted on Twitter.

“So glad @DwyaneWade & @itsgabrielleu are addressing the boundaries people cross when a couple goes through IVF and other methods to have children. It’s still so dissapointing to know how much people don’t really know about basic genetics,” one user wrote.

You can listen to Union and Wade’s full conversation with Oprah on OWN.

Related Stories:

Gabrielle Union Has No Time for People Shaming Her for Kissing Her Baby on the Lips

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Just Revealed the Name of Their Daughter—and It’s Beautiful

Gabrielle Union ‘Finally Got Some Answers’ About Her History of Miscarriages





Source link

Categories
Health

Oprah Winfrey Fires Back at Racist Robocall Targeting Stacey Abrams


Oprah Winfrey has taken the midterm cycle into her own hands this year, rolling up her sleeves and knocking on doors to get voters to the polls. She surprised some lucky Georgians earlier in the week by canvassing for Stacey Abrams, who could become America’s first black female governor if she beats out Republican candidate Brian Kemp.

However, just after Winfrey gave Abrams a boost, a racist robocall went out to voters in Georgia. In the recording, a male voice pretends to be Winfrey and makes several racial slurs. But Winfrey quickly responded: She went on Instagram and clapped back, letting the world know that nothing was going to stop her from encouraging people to make their voices heard.

“I heard people making racist robocalls in my name against Stacey Abrams, who I am 100 percent for in Georgia,” she said. “I just want to say: Jesus don’t like ugly. And we know what to do about that. Vote.”

In the video, Winfrey wears a shirt with bright letters that spell the word vote. She captioned the post, “The antidote to Hate… VOTE your love!”

The call seems to have been funded by theroadtopower.com, a white supremacist group that recently also targeted Florida candidate Andrew Gillum. In it, the Oprah impersonator refers to Abrams as a “poor man’s Aunt Jemima” and says she will trick white women “especially fat ones” to vote for her. A recording of the call was posted widely on social media and lambasted for its offensive, racist language. It has also been condemned by several politicians and celebrities.

Still, the call wasn’t going to get in Winfrey way. She’s still making sure voters know how important turnout is, especially because today is Election Day. Winfrey has been such a powerful organizer that many people believed she could be a candidate in 2020. While she’s said she won’t be running, she’s shown she still a forced to be reckoned with in the political arena.

MORE: In a Record-Breaking Election Year for Women, Here Are the Races to Watch



Source link

Categories
Health

Oprah Winfrey Just Got A Year-Long Exhibition At The National Museum of African American History and Culture


Oprah Winfrey is a media titan, philanthropist, businesswoman, fashion icon, actress, and all-around American treasure — and a new museum exhibition is now giving her the credit she deserves.

On Friday, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., unveiled “Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture,” an exhibition that celebrates Winfrey’s monumental contributions to society. The exhibit pays special attention to the cultural impact of her iconic daytime program “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, which became the highest-rated talk show in history during its 25-year run.

“What’s interesting is the same way America thought about Walter Cronkite — you could trust Walter Cronkite and his opinion — they trust Oprah,” museum director Lonnie G. Bunch III told the Washington Post. “An African American woman becomes the person America turns to.”

The exhibition features a series of interview segments, video clips, photographs and journals that chronicle Winfrey’s life and career. The first section focuses on the ways in which the cultural shifts of the 1950s and ’60s shaped and informed Winfrey’s worldview—as the museum’s website puts it, Winfrey is “a daughter of the civil rights generation whose phenomenal story of success illuminates the struggles and achievements of African American women throughout history.”

The second part includes artifacts and ephemera from Harpo Studios in Chicago, where Winfrey filmed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The exhibition explores how Winfrey used the show to raise conversations around race, equality and gender through her interviews, improvement segments, and popular book club discussions.

The final part of the exhibition highlights her role as a “cultural influencer and tastemaker.” In addition to appearing in films like The Butler and A Wrinkle In Time as an actress, Winfrey has produced award-winning films like Beloved and the Ava DuVernay-directed feature Selma. She’s also helped launched the careers of a number of authors through her book club and has promoted arts and culture through her philanthropy and on The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

While Winfrey donated $21 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the museum told the Washington Post that her role as a benefactor did not influence the show. Instead, they explained that the exhibition was put together by museum scholars and curators Rhea L. Combs and Kathleen Kendrick, who worked hard to balance Winfrey’s personal story and success.

“We’re providing a context for understanding not only who she is, but how she became a global figure, and how she is connected to broader stories and themes,” Kendrick said.



Source link

Categories
Health

No, Oprah Is Not Running for President in 2020


Ever since Oprah’s Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech at the 2018 Golden Globes, the rallying cry from the masses has been one insisting that she take her powerful rhetoric to the campaign trail and run for President of the United States in the next election. Throughout the speech, Oprah mentioned her support of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, resonating with the actresses in the audience and the viewers at home. The acceptance speech was not just a simple, humble pep talk—it was naturally very poised and did feel somewhat presidential, and left many in tears as they stood to congratulate her for the award.

“Oprah 2020” has become a slogan hoisted upon Oprah, with friends like Meryl Streep endorsing a presidential run from the queen of all media. In a cover interview with InStyle, Oprah has finally addressed the subject of “Oprah 2020,” insisting that she is by no means interested in running for President of the United States. “I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it,” she said. Even Gayle has sided with Oprah, telling her best friend, “I know, I know, I know! It wouldn’t be good for you—it would be good for everyone else.”

“That’s not for me,” Oprah told InStyle, after revealing that someone had offered to help start her campaign. Even if there was a chance that having Oprah in office could be even mildly medicinal for all of us, we have to trust that Oprah knows herself better than anyone else. And she already has enough on her plate: Oprah is scheduled to return to 60 Minutes on CBS, getting back to her roots as a journalist on assignment, and she recently volunteered her time and efforts towards cleaning up in the Santa Barbara fires and Montecito mudslides.

Related: Behold Oprah’s Glorious Backstage Golden Globes 2018 Speech, Which Rivaled Her Showstopper on TV





Source link

Categories
Health

Oprah for President in 2020 Is Apparently Not a Far-Fetched Possibility


“Oprah for President” is a campaign that has been wistfully bandied about by her devotees for quite a while now, but after her incredible speech at last night’s Golden Globes, it’s evolved into a matter a little more serious—and it seems like Oprah might be embracing the idea.

#Oprah2020 began trending on Twitter toward the end of the night after she wrapped her passionate acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award. The first black woman to be awarded the honor in its 66-year history, her speech—mixing shade at the current administration, tribute to women living in a “culture broken by brutally powerful men,” and some incredibly inspiring words to remind us all that “a new day is on the horizon”—brought the room to its feet.

The L.A. Times found her at her table, where she was sitting with Gayle King and Ava DuVernay (power trio), and asked her about Twitter’s proposed campaign. She smiled, and replied, “OK!”

We’re not entirely sure whether she’s joking there, but the Internet promptly erred on the side of “This speech was her kicking off her campaign”—hence the trending hashtag.

Her partner, Stedman Graham, didn’t do much to damper the excitement, either: The Times asked him whether she would actually, IRL, you’re-not-messing-with-us-are-you run for president, and he replied: “It’s up to the people. She would absolutely do it.” Twitter hype aside, that sounds like a legit, firm response saying “If you want Oprah to be president, she will forge onward and make it so.”

Of course, a few pointed out that, somewhat like the current president, she doesn’t have legislative experience (at least she’s an actual self-made billionaire, though?). One Twitter user gave a different, but incredibly valid, take: “Y’all want #Oprah2020 so bad? Prove it. Spend this year electing Black women to office in 2018. Put in the work. Show some receipts. Then we can talk about the presidency in 2020. Deal?”

Keeping in the spirit of the evening, getting more women in politics—especially women of color in politics—is an incredible way to keep crumbling away at the structure of men who abuse the system and the power they have. Whether or not #Oprah2020 becomes a real thing, turning out on Election Day this year to empower women on the ballots is one thing that will have tangible, lasting impact.

Related Stories:
–Oprah Winfrey Accepts Cecil B. DeMille Award at 2018 Golden Globe Awards With Empowering Speech
–8 Unforgettable Speeches From 2017 That Every Woman Needs to See
–Reese Witherspoon on Running for Office and Working with Oprah





Source link