Oprah Winfrey

Winfrey invests in WeightWatchers in 2015, joins its board and becomes one of the brand's leading figures. After revealing that she uses weight-loss medication, she announces in 2024 that she will leave the board and donate her stake to eliminate any perception of a conflict of interest. WW shares fall sharply following the announcement.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following the Maui wildfires, Oprah and Dwayne Johnson launch a fund initially endowed with $10 million and ask the public to contribute. A wave of criticism questions why they are soliciting donations from individuals given their wealth. The scheme subsequently distributes nearly $60 million to approximately 8,100 displaced adults.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following the US election, viral posts claim that Kamala Harris paid Oprah Winfrey one million dollars to secure her support. Records show that the campaign paid approximately one million dollars to Harpo Productions for event production costs, not to Oprah as a fee for her endorsement.

Oprah devotes a programme to Brazilian healer João Teixeira de Faria, known as 'John of God', contributing to his international prominence. In 2018, numerous women accuse him of sexual abuse and he surrenders to police, prompting critical reassessment of the exposure celebrities and media outlets had given him.

State of the evidence

Documented

Mehmet Oz becomes a nationally prominent figure following numerous appearances on Oprah's programme and the launch of his own show. As his medical and commercial recommendations attract growing criticism from doctors, researchers and authorities, Oprah is criticised for having contributed greatly to his public credibility.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Tiny Virginia Makopo, the former dormitory matron prosecuted following allegations by pupils at Oprah's school, is acquitted of all charges at the conclusion of the trial in South Africa.

Person targeted by the proceedings

a school employee

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Former headmistress Nomvuyo Mzamane sues Oprah for defamation, claiming that her public statements during the abuse crisis destroyed her reputation. A judge refuses to dismiss the case before trial, after which the parties reach an out-of-court settlement.

State of the evidence

Settlement

Attribution

Accused

The Oprah Winfrey Show features Jenny McCarthy, who publicly claims a link between vaccines and autism. Oprah also reads out a CDC statement contradicting this link, but is subsequently criticised for amplifying a figure who became prominent in the anti-vaccine movement.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Pupils at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa accuse a dormitory employee of physical and sexual abuse. Winfrey travels to the school, meets families, brings in investigators and reorganises part of its management.

Person targeted by the proceedings

a dormitory employee

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

After selecting A Million Little Pieces for her book club, Oprah initially supports James Frey when elements of the book are challenged. She subsequently publicly retracts her defence, apologises to her audience and confronts Frey about the fabrications and exaggerations in his account.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated

Winfrey is refused entry to a Hermès boutique in Paris. Her representatives describe the experience as humiliating and suggest a racial dimension; Hermès maintains that the shop had already closed and was preparing for a private event. Oprah announces a boycott before ending it following a public apology.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following a 1996 programme about mad cow disease, Texas cattle ranchers sue Oprah Winfrey and her company under a so-called 'food disparagement' law, claiming that the remarks harmed the beef market.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Accused