*Oprah Winfrey, a name synonymous with influence and inspiration, got “real-real,” so to speak, in a candid sit down about her decades-long battle with weight and the hurtful comments on “In Living Color” and other shows over the years that have punctuated her career.
In a heartfelt discussion during the inaugural episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast on Tuesday, the iconic media personality, now 70, explored the emotional toll these experiences have taken on her.
Winfrey recounted how her struggles with body image often led her to avoid public appearances. One such instance was a holiday party hosted by Don Johnson, famously known for his role in Miami Vice.
“The week before Christmas, I remember Don Johnson — the Don Johnson — was having a party and had invited me and some members of my show to come, and I wouldn’t go because I thought I was too fat to go,” Winfrey shared with Lima, a best-selling author and entrepreneur of IT Cosmetics, according to a report from Blavity.
Reflecting on her weight fluctuations, Winfrey described a particular moment of self-consciousness: “I‘d gone from 145 [lbs.] on the day of the show,” she recounted, “I think I was 157 [lbs.] in the course of, like, a week and a half or two. And the shame started again.”
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Winfrey’s journey with weight and public perception was further complicated by the media’s relentless scrutiny. One particularly hurtful moment came when the late critic Richard Blackwell referred to her as “bumpy, frumpy and downright lumpy” on the cover of TV Guide.
“I ingested that, I swallowed it like it was a pill designed just for my body and I took in all the shame,” Winfrey said. “And I accepted that this thing that people have labeled me with — being fat, being overweight, being unable to control my willpower, not having any willpower — that’s my shame. That’s it. They’re right, they’re right.”
Adding to the compounded hurt, Winfrey recalled being mocked in various television shows, including a particularly insensitive skit on the ’90s sketch comedy show In Living Color.
In the skit, actress Kim Wayans portrayed Winfrey in an exaggerated manner, eating continuously until she exploded.
“One of the most hurtful things was In Living Color had done a skit where the woman was doing something, and she just kept eating and getting fatter and fatter and fatter and the comedy bit was that eventually she just exploded,” Winfrey said. “The whole audience fell out [laughing]. And the woman was me.”
The emotional scars from these public taunts have lingered, but Winfrey emphasized her resolve to leave them behind as she enters her seventh decade.
“And that was just accepted! That was just a thing that was accepted. So I have borne this weight thing and carried it to the point where I just feel like, I’ve just recently turned 70 and I’m not carrying it into the next decade. I’m done with it.”
Her conversation with Jamie Kern Lima served not just as a moment of personal catharsis but also as an important message about the impact of body shaming and societal pressures. Winfrey’s willingness to share her vulnerabilities stands as a powerful testimony to the resilience and strength needed to overcome deeply ingrained stigmas.
Ultimately, Winfrey’s story is a reminder of the challenges many face concerning body image and how personal healing requires both time and acceptance. As she moves forward, Oprah Winfrey’s journey continues to inspire those who grapple with similar issues, emphasizing that self-worth transcends public perception.
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