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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What is Donald Trump’s visit worth to the UK economy?
In the Spotlight Centrepiece of the president’s trip, business-wise, is a ‘technology partnership’
-
Trump’s visit: the mouse and the walrus
Britain is keen to point to its own ‘tangible results’, but the US administration has made their demands clear
-
Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A: a ‘magnificent’ exhibition
The Week Recommends The UK’s first show dedicated solely to the French queen explores the complex woman behind the ‘bling’