Gossip: Oprah Winfrey, Kitty Kelley

A new unauthorized biography of Oprah Winfrey by Kitty Kelley claims the talk-show queen exaggerated the poverty of her childhood and staged a sham relationship with longtime love Stedman Graham.

A new unauthorized biography of Oprah Winfrey by author Kitty Kelley claims the talk-show queen greatly exaggerated the poverty of her childhood, has engaged in several “lesbian affairs,” and staged a sham relationship with longtime love Stedman Graham to enhance her image. The book says Winfrey cooked up a dirt-poor childhood in Mississippi because the truth—that she was “a spoiled child’’ of modest means—was “boring.’’ Other allegations: Winfrey was wildly promiscuous as a young woman; has a cold, distant relationship with her mother; and doesn’t know the identity of her biological father. The book also claims that Winfrey had an affair with New Age musician and former Entertainment Tonight host John Tesh, in the 1970s.

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