Another city, another sold-out show, another salute to the imperishable power of Oprah. The world changes, but its queen of the airwaves only makes adjustments, and after a lifetime on the road, Oprah Winfrey, at 66, believes she can finally see a destination.
“I’ve reached the point where I’m okay with where I am,” Oprah said at the start of her epic new 18,000km Vision 2020 tour of America’s biggest cities. “It’s taken a long time and it’s been really hard… but I think I’m there.” The talk show days are done, and having followed up with success as an actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist, political power-broker, and de facto global godmother, Oprah now intends to take herself directly to the masses.
For all her fame, amassed during one of the most astonishing careers in entertainment history, Oprah remains, in many ways, a mystery. Her core skill has been reaching into the souls and psyches of others, rather than revealing her own. Fame and money, she says, have had the paradoxical effect of adding to her insecurity. “I’m essentially an introvert,” she recently admitted to actress Amy Schumer. “People don’t believe it, but I find it hard to open up. I go to parties where I can’t think of anything to say and have to run to the bathroom.”
Her inner life and closest relationships, particularly with her companion of 34 years, Stedman Graham, and best friend Gayle King, have long been a subject of intrigue and speculation. Biographers who have attempted to penetrate the mystique have gone away defeated.
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BATTLE FOR THE THRONE
As word of a judgement leaks from the courtroom where the Murdochs have been tussling for power, those close to the throne suggest that the battle for the world’s most powerful media empire has only just begun.
AFTER THE WAVE
Twenty years ago, the Boxing Day tsunami tore across the Indian Ocean, shredding towns, villages and holiday resorts, and killing hundreds of thousands of people from Indonesia to Africa. Three survivors share their memories of shock, terror and loss with The Weekly.
Escape to the country
Raised in New Zealand, design icon Collette Dinnigan opens the doors to her family homestead, where treasures from her travels rest side by side with the sights, sounds and style of her Australian life.
Ripe for the picking
Apricots are at their peak sweetness now, take inspiration from our savoury and sweet ideas.
Grill-licious
The backyard barbecue has come a long way from the days of chargrilling some snags. Try our fresh batch of recipe inspiration for your next cook-up.
Reclaim your brain
Perimenopause made me realise that our brains need looking after.
Long and the short of it
If youre considering a chop and change, this is how to nail a hair transformation.
Have we lost the art of conversation?
In a world of thumbs-up emojis and one-way voice memos, are we forgetting how to converse? The Weekly engages in an experiment in listening and genuine two-way chatting.
Farewell, 1936-2024 Maggie T
At Lhe Weekly Maggie labberer was and remains our guiding light the epitome of elegance with a whip-smart intellect, naughty sense of fun and innate kindness. She was a one-off.
MEL SCHILLING Cancer made me look at myself differently
One year on from going public with her bowel cancer diagnosis, Mel Schilling reveals where she's at with her health journey and how it's changed her irrevocably.
