Oprah Winfrey admits she doesn’t have many friends, only close ones

Love her or hate her, we can all concur that Oprah Winfrey is a masterful chat show host.

Oprah’s journey hasn’t been a walk in the park by any means. She faced rough patches early in life, yet these trials only fueled her resolve and ambition.

Oprah shares her life with long-term partner Stedman Graham. The pair have been engaged for nearly three decades without exchanging vows. Speculation of an intimate home wedding has surfaced in the press, but Oprah and Stedman have not addressed these rumors.

Both Oprah and Stedman have expressed in the past that marriage might complicate things, suggesting their relationship might not have endured had they wed.

Oprah’s career is marked by conversations with a host of notable figures, from Michael Jackson to President Barack Obama, Whitney Houston, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, among others.

When Oprah started her career, she was one of a small number of women in a male-dominated field. But this didn’t deter her ascent to fame.

In 2011, after a quarter-century of broadcasting, Oprah decided to draw the curtain on the internationally acclaimed The Oprah Winfrey Show. However, this was not the sunset of her career.

“I have treasured this show, it’s been the heart of my life, and I adore it enough to recognize when to part ways,” she declared. “A full twenty-five years seems intrinsically perfect to me, in my soul and spirit. It appears to be the ideal moment and a rounded number.”

Her show secured eight Daytime Emmy Awards, along with Oprah receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. She won the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Talkshow Host” on four occasions. In 2013, President Barack Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In terms of her personal connections, Oprah disclosed that she prefers a compact, intimate group of friends. During her podcast Making Space, she divulged, “I really don’t have an extensive friend list. There’s Gayle [King], Maria, Bob [Greene], and really, that’s the core. Gayle and Maria entered my life around the same time, and since then, my circle hasn’t grown much. Only in the past five years have I welcomed some new friends into my later adult life.”

She holds the belief that the value of friendships is not in their quantity, but in the authenticity of those few.

Gayle King has been a constant in the dynamic between Oprah and Graham ever since her divorce in 1994, often tagging along as the “third wheel.”

“I embrace my role as the third wheel,” Gayle expressed to ET. “No explanations necessary. After my divorce in ‘94, I’ve been part of their duo. Stedman’s always been inclusive, so I’ve never thought twice when Oprah mentions an outing. I immediately ask, ‘When?’

“The thought of not being included doesn’t cross my mind,” she continued. “Over the years, we’ve shared incredible journeys. And that’s something that will continue.”

Oprah and her partner Graham have opted not to become parents, a choice that both of them are content with.

Oprah shared with Yahoo, “There’s nothing he expects of me like, ‘What’s for breakfast? What’s for dinner?’ That’s a dynamic I believe would’ve shifted had we tied the knot.”

“Definitely, if we had married, I don’t believe we would have stayed together, because it would have imposed different expectations on him, and I would’ve had my own perspectives. I have no second thoughts about our choice.

She confessed, “When I was in Chicago, I acquired an extra condo thinking that we might need additional space for children if we decided to marry,” Winfrey revealed.

Oprah expressed her belief that parenting involves commitment and “sacrifice.”

Speaking to People, she remarked, “I spoke to so many individuals whose lives were in turmoil because they had parents who didn’t recognize the gravity of their parenting roles.”

“I lack the skill to juggle responsibilities as some women can. It’s the reason why, over the years, I’ve developed immense admiration for women who dedicate themselves to raising their kids at home. It’s a role that isn’t acknowledged enough.”

At present, Oprah resides in an impressive estate valued at $100 million. She recently took to social media to inform her followers that she has received her COVID-19 vaccinations.