oprah winfrey
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Oprah Winfrey is denying allegations that she took $1 million from the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris, allegations that have been repeatedly shared by social media observers.
In the wake of the presidential election loss by Vice President Kamala Harris, higher scrutiny on the Democratic Party’s spending has increased and many are looking at allegations that Oprah Winfrey personally received money from the campaign to the tune of $1 million. The allegation came as part of a report by the Washington Examiner, a conservative media outlet, which took a look at the financial output of the Harris campaign which had collected $1 billion in three months of fundraising. The Examiner reported that the campaign “paid more than $15 million, according to federal filings,” on “event production.” That included the million dollars paid to Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s company.
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Harpo Productions was responsible for putting on the “Unite For America” livestream event for Harris that aired in September and was held in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. The town hall featured celebrities such as actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Meryl Streep among others appearing virtually. Winfrey interviewed the vice president about her stances on reproductive rights, including abortion, as well as gun control. The reports led to some online expressing their dislike of the situation, and decrying how much monetary donations and high-profile figures have gotten a say in the nation’s politics.
Other outlets picked up on the Examiner’s article and began to write that Winfrey herself had been paid that sum of one million. A reporter from TMZ confronted Oprah Winfrey on the street in a video released on Monday (November 10). “Is it true that they paid you a million dollars for the endorsement for Kamala?”, the reporter asked. “Not true,” Winfrey replied. “I did not get paid a penny. Ever.” She responded to a commenter who was defending her on Instagram, reiterating that she wasn’t personally paid and explaining how her company was paid for producing the virtual town hall.
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Oprah Winfrey hosted a virtual rally for Kamala Harris, which was full of key moments and celebrity appearances.
On Thursday (September 19), Oprah Winfrey was the host of a virtual rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The conversation was held in front of a live studio audience in Farmington Hills, Michigan, which is a northwestern suburb of the city of Detroit. After greeting Vice President Harris warmly, Winfrey asked her about President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing her. “I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose,” ” Harris responded. “There really is so much at stake.”
The event, dubbed “Unite For America”, brought together many of the groups who had previously held virtual calls for Harris in the past weeks since she entered the race including Win With Black Women, Win With Black Men, Comics for Kamala, Cat Ladies for Kamala, and White Dudes for Harris.
Winfrey led a conversation where different topics were discussed, including gun safety and the Second Amendment. At one point, Harris shared that she did own a gun. “If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot,” she remarked, prompting the crowd to laugh before adding, “I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later.”
That moment was one of several where Vice President Harris opened up and spoke at length about issues she is passionate about, including the effects of illegal immigration and reproductive rights for women. That discussion took on greater impact when the mother and sister of Amber Thurman spoke with Harris and Winfrey. Thurman died of sepsis after waiting 20 hours for treatment after taking an abortion pill, which has been tied to the state’s abortion ban. “It’s a healthcare crisis,” Harris said. “It’s a health care crisis that affects the patient and the profession.”
Celebrities were also on hand to lend their support to Harris, including Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez, and Meryl Streep. An estimated 300,000 tuned in to the live-streamed event, and Winfrey was adamant about her motivation behind hosting – imploring people to register and to vote. “We love having you here, but the rah-rah moment is going to end, and then we need to get to work,” she said to the crowd.
Check out more reactions to the virtual event below.
1. Sophie Vershbow
2. Art Candee
3. EmperorTChalla
4. bluepolitics_
5. Camryn Smoler
6. Sophia A. Nelson
7. Kristen’s Kulture
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Entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey is not done throwing her political support behind Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to be the first Black woman — and woman in general — to serve as the president of the United States.
After showing up and showing out for Harris during the Democratic National Convention to honor Harris, who she called “the best of America,” Oprah will host a live-streamed event next week called “Unite for America” alongside political action group Win With Black Women and nearly 150 other groups that support the vice president.
“This ‘Unite for America’ call will be a powerful moment that demonstrates the urgency that we all feel in this moment and more importantly the impact of our collective activation to move our nation forward with Vice President Kamala Harris as our 47th President,” Jotaka Eaddy, social impact strategist and founder of WWBW, said in a statement, according to Deadline. “I cannot think of anyone better to host this event than Oprah Winfrey, who has brought Americans of different generations, backgrounds, and experiences together in conversation for decades.”
In July, on the same day President Joe Biden announced he would be stepping aside for Harris to run in November, WWBW launched an online event that nearly 100,000 attended, and the group raised more than $1.6 million within two hours. After that, damn near every demographic in America had its own group supporting Harris.
From Deadline:
After WWBW, more virtual meet-ups were soon in the mix with Win With Black Men, White Dudes for Harris, South Asians for Harris, Cat Ladies for Kamala, Comics for Kamala, White Women: Answer the Call and Show Up for Kamala Harris, Republicans for Harris, Latino Men for Kamala and of course, leaning in to a certain much desired endorsement, Swifties for Kamala. In the six weeks that the VP has been a candidate and now the Democrats’ official nominee for president, the Zoom call gatherings have raised over $20 million for her and running mate Gov. Tim Walz’ campaign.
(On a side note, the MAGA world has been extra salty about the “White Dudes for Harris” group. They don’t feel the same way about “Blacks for Trump” though.)
The virtual event kicks off on September 19 at 5 pm Pacific time and 8 pm Eastern time. Supporters who would like to view the shindig can RSVP for it here.
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On Wednesday, August 21, word got out that Oprah Winfrey would be speaking at the Democratic National Convention. While it’s safe to say most people saw that as a positive, there is a loud minority of social media users who had issues with her appearance.
While to say Oprah is media icon is still an understatement, there is no denying that her co-sign is majority responsible for the rise of Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz. In recent years, both media personalities have come under fire. Dr. Phil has been accused multiple times of professional misconduct and suspect ethics, while Dr. Oz also has been likened to a “snake oil salesman” and his run for office failed in a heap of struggle.
So whether deserved or not, Oprah is getting the blame. We’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that once again a Black women is getting scapegoated for the ethical failings of grown-ass men, but that’s another discussion.
Nevertheless, Oprah still took to the stage at United Center and delivered a dynamic speech. “When we stand together, it is impossible to concur us,” she said. Her speech was powerful, and she had smoke for JD Vance, too. And Oprah, who is an independent, doesn’t just endorse anybody.
Peep the variety of reactions in the gallery.
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Mo’Nique is once more aiming harsh barbs in the direction of two beloved figures within the culture in Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, adding fuel to longstanding fired lasting more than a dozen years. During a recent standup routine, Mo’Nique unloaded on Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry and urged the crowd to call them out their names.
Mo’Nique, 56, was an opening act during a recent stop Katt Williams’ Dark Matter tour stop in Nashville, Tenn. and took time to take shots at Winfrey and Perry, both of whom she’s claimed have frozen her out of opportunities in the industry.
At one point during the show, Mo’Nique led a chant of, “F*ck you, Oprah Winfrey! F*ck you, Tyler Perry! F*ck them c*on motherf*ckers! I said it, n*gga, say it with me!”
Doubling down, the Baltimore native added, “I love that Black raggedy b*tch. I love that Black simple-minded motherf*cker. I love Oprah Winfrey’s Black ass. And we just need to bring her back to Black.”
Other figures in Winfrey’s life caught shots, including longtime partner Stedman Graham and best friend Gayle King.
It’s been said that Mo’Nique’s rehashing of the beef is connected to an alleged scheme hatched by Winfrey to blackball her for not promoting the film Precious, which Winfrey and Perry served as executive producers.
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Source: Rich Polk/Golden Globes 2024 / Getty / Oprah Winfrey
Aht aht aht. Oprah Winfrey said you will not blame her for the production woes surrounding The Color Purple movie and is over the fact people are bringing up her name in the conversation.
Spotted on Deadline, Oprah Winfrey had time to address those pesky rumors about her after Taraji P. Henson mentioned some production woes while filming the 2023 version of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the Golden Globes red carpet, Winfrey came with receipts after she was asked about Henson talking about the challenges she faced in Hollywood, like pay disparity and other issues like not having a personal drive to take her to and from The Color Purple set and other issues.
Winfrey, along with other big names like Stephen Spielberg, who directed the original film, and Quincy Jones, all serve as executive producers on Blitz Bazawule’s film that takes its cues from the Broadway musical, finally had something to say after trending on social media.
Per Deadline:
“I heard I was trending yesterday. People were saying I was not supporting Taraji,” Winfrey said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Golden Globes. “Taraji will tell you herself that I’ve been the greatest champion of this film, championing not only the behind-the-scenes production but also everything that everybody needed.”
She continued, “Whenever I heard that there was something that people needed — I’m not in charge of the budget because that’s Warner Bros., that’s the way the studio system works and we as producers, everybody gets their salary that’s negotiated by your team.”
Winfrey reiterated that whenever she “heard there was a problem with the cars” or “with the food” she would “step in and do whatever I could to make it right,” noting that Henson “would vouch for that and say that it’s true.”
Winfrey also addressed the rumors of tension between herself and the Empire star after TikTok body language experts dissected a video of the cast and Winfrey at the Empire State Building.
“There’s no validity to their being a thing between Taraji and I,” Winfrey said.
Despite Oprah and other cast members Fantasia and Danelle Brooks clearing things up, people still have opinions.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Rich Polk/Golden Globes 2024 / Getty
2. Interesting
4. Exactly
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Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson is opening up about the struggles of being a Black actor.
The star became visibly emotional as she shared that she has considered quitting acting after regularly being underpaid.
In an interview with Gayle King on SiriusXM, and The Color Purple co-star Danielle Brooks and the film’s director, Blitz Bazawule, Henson addressed a report that she thought about ending her illustrious career as she struggled financially despite her fame.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said, according to The Huffington Post. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”
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The actor became visibly emotional as she detailed the financial expense of managing her career.
“I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing,” she said. “Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, there’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”
According to Complex, Henson shared in another recent interview that she replaced her entire team after they failed to capitalize on the success of her role as Cookie Lyon on Empire.
In response to being asked what her best decision was as an actor, Henson replied, “Firing everybody after Cookie. Everybody had to fucking go. Where is my deal? Where is my commercial? Cookie was top of the fashion game. Where is my endorsement? What did you have set up for after this?”
Despite Oscar nominations and critical acclaim, Henson notes that she feels underpaid compared to her white counterparts.
“It seems every time I do something and I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again, like I never did what I just did,” she told King. “And I’m just tired. It wears on you, you know?”
This Christmas, Henson will star alongside Brooks, Fantasia Barrino and an all-star Black cast in the reimagining of the beloved film, The Color Purple. Henson plays the iconic Shug Avery in the Oprah Winfrey-backed release.
Henson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button where she starred alongside Brad Pitt. She has previously said that despite asking for “half a million” in pay for the role, she was ultimately paid only $150,000. The film went on to earn $127.5 million domestically and $208.3 million in foreign markets, with a total gross of $335.8 million, according to IMDB.
“Listen, I’ve been doing this for two decades and sometimes I get tired of fighting because I know what I do is bigger than me. I know that the legacy I leave will affect somebody coming up behind me,” Henson recently told The Hollywood Reporter. She added that she is advocating for other Black actors. “My prayer is that I don’t want these Black girls to have the same fights that me and Viola [Davis], Octavia [Spencer], we out here thugging it out.”
Henson received support from Gabrielle Union who wrote on X (former Twitter) “Not a damn lie told. Not. A. Damn. Lie. We go TO BAT for the next generation and hell even our own generation and above.”
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Oprah Winfrey vows to put her money where her mouth is and help out the Maui natives whose lives were tragically turned upside down following devastating wildfires.
Following the wildfires that decimated Maui, plenty of support has been sent in the direction of residents who lost their homes during the terrifying three days as wildfires swept across the island.
One of those people lending a helping hand is Oprah Winfrey, who recently purchased $6.6 million worth of land on the island. Per Philip Lewis, Winfrey said in an Instagram video shared by Oprah Daily account that she will make a sizeable donation to the island in the coming days.
The announcement comes after Winfrey visited a shelter to donate goods in Wailuku with a camera but was told she could not film.
“At some point, I will make a major donation after all the smoke and the ashes have settled here and we figure out what the rebuilding is going to look like,” the media mogul said.
Winfrey’s vow to help the island she calls home sometimes comes on the heels of conspiracy theories floating on Elon Musk’s trash platform, X.
X Is Ground Zero for Wildfire Conspiracy Theories
Some idiots believe that Winfrey is somehow connected to the wildfires after her estate was not damaged, despite her actively providing things like cots, pillows, and toiletries to Maui residents displaced by the wildfires.
One clown on X wrote, “Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz can’t even hide his smirk as Maui burned. He’s seeing dollar signs for huge Democrat donors (Oprah, Zuckerberg, other billionaires) who will scoop up the land and steal it from native born Hawaiians.”
Another X user (probably a bot) called Winfrey an “arsonist,” alleging she is the mastermind behind the wildfires.
In another headass post, an X user points out that the mansions belonging to Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, Lady Gaga, Bill Gates, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, and Julia Roberts were “completely unaffected” by the wildfires.
Sighs.
We can’t wait to hear what they have to say when Oprah and those other people back up the Brink’s trucks to help the residents of Maui, Hawaii, while the fools continue to post conspiracy theories on X for free.
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Photo: Arturo Holmes / Getty
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The first two episodes of The 1619 Project arrived on Hulu on Thursday (Jan. 26). The six-episode docuseries which is adapted from Nikole Hannah-Jones’ New York Times bestseller and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, places the “consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative,” per the Hulu description.
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Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, hosts the docuseries. The six episodes, titled “Democracy,” “Race,” “Music,” “Capitalism,” “Fear” and “Justice,” expand on the essays from Hannah-Jones’ best-selling book.
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Hannah-Jones and Winfrey are executive producers of The 1619 Project, along with Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams; Peabody Award-winner Shoshana Guy, Caitlin Roper — an editor of The 1619 Project and NYT executive producer for film and television — and Kathleen Lingo, NYT editorial director for film and television.
How to Watch The 1619 Project for Free
The 1619 Project is streaming at no extra cost for Hulu subscribers. If you’re not subscribed, now’s your chance to join for free for the first month, so you can stream The 1619 Project, Koala Man, How I Caught My Killer, The Drop, Extraordinary, season 2 of How I Met Your Father and other Hulu Originals.
Hulu is $7.99/month (or $79.99/year) for the ad-supported plan and $12.99/month to stream without commercials.
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Watch the trailer for The 1619 Project below.
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Wes Moore is now the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland, the first time in history that feat has been achieved. On hand for the well-attended and star-studded ceremony in the state’s capital city was Oprah Winfrey, who has ties to the region.
Wes Moore, 44, was sworn in during a lavish ceremony in Annapolis, Md. with Winfrey introducing the military veteran and Maryland native where she reminded attendees that she found her footing as a television news reporter in nearby Baltimore at WJZ-TV, a CBS affiliate station.
More from Oprah Daily:
Oprah, along with President Biden and former President Obama, endorsed Moore during his campaign. Although he has never held public office, Moore is a seasoned businessman and philanthropist who served as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization focused on fighting poverty in New York City. While running for governor, Moore made that as well as protecting reproductive rights in Maryland two of his major issues.
“I know that, with Wes Moore as your governor, Maryland’s best days lie ahead,” Oprah said when introducing Moore at today’s inauguration. The state has a significant place in Oprah’s heart; she moved to Baltimore at just 22 years old to work as co-anchor of WJZ-TV’s 6 o’clock news. “When I moved to Maryland, I had no idea really who I was, or what an Oprah was,” she said during the inauguration speech. “But I will tell you something: Maryland is where I figured it out.”
Local outlet WBAL-TV published the full transcript of Gov. Moore’s speech and we’ll share a portion of the speech as prepared below.
Gov. Moore:
You’ve elected me to serve as your governor, but the work, will be done together. Now there will be skeptics, who will say that we cannot rise above the toxic partisanship we see all too often in today’s politics, where people care more about where the idea came from than is it a good idea. Those voices told me at the beginning of my campaign, “You don’t understand how politics works.” To them I said and I say, “We must govern on big principles instead of petty differences.”
To them I said and I say, we must form broad coalitions that bring people together rather than scare them. I said and I say, the urgency of the moment demands a different way of serving the people.
While I led paratroopers, do you know what question I never asked my soldiers, what’s your political party?
I will govern the same way: For all Marylanders. For those who did not vote for me, I will work to earn your support; for those who did, I will work to keep it.
Congratulations to Gov. Wes Moore.
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Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
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