July 2nd 2024.
In a recent interview, Oprah Winfrey shared a personal experience from early on in her career when she was body-shamed by late TV star Joan Rivers on The Tonight Show. Despite now being one of the most recognizable talk show hosts in the world, Oprah has faced prejudice in many forms throughout her career, including fat-shaming.
The incident occurred in 1985, during Oprah's first appearance on The Tonight Show as a guest of Joan Rivers. At the time, Oprah was a presenter for AM Chicago and was also waiting to hear if she had been cast in the film adaptation of The Color Purple. Oprah recalled feeling devastated and insecure about her weight, which led her to attend a "fat farm" or a health retreat. She explained that this was partly due to being shamed by Joan Rivers on national television for her weight.
During the pre-interview for the show, Oprah was expecting to discuss the success of her talk show, but instead, Joan Rivers turned to her and asked, "Tell me, why are you so fat?" Shocked and unsure how to respond, Oprah simply replied, "Oh, I just love potato chips, Joan." However, Joan persisted and even shamed Oprah, telling her, "No, seriously, shame on you." As a result, Oprah agreed to lose 15 pounds before returning to the show.
Despite her efforts, Oprah did not lose the 15 pounds and instead gained an additional 10 pounds. She believed that this experience had cost her the opportunity to be cast in The Color Purple because she was "overweight." Oprah's obsession with her weight continued until she attended a retreat and finally found the courage to let go of the shame she had been carrying. Shortly after, she received a call from the film's producer, Steven Spielberg, offering her the role. He even joked about her being at a "fat farm," reassuring her that she didn't need to lose any weight.
This experience became a valuable life lesson for Oprah, who realized the power of letting go and accepting herself for who she is. However, this was not the first time Oprah had faced criticism for her weight. In the past, she has been open about her struggles with body image and even faced backlash for using the weight-loss drug Ozempic. She shared that she felt pressure to prove that she had the willpower to lose weight, but no longer feels that way.
Unfortunately, the harmful attitude towards body weight persists in the entertainment industry, even to this day. Many female celebrities have been subjected to unrealistic beauty standards, leading them to harm their bodies in pursuit of the perfect figure. In the '90s, Steps singer Claire Richards even followed a drastic 900-calorie-per-day diet due to comments about her weight. And more recently, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has also had to confront body-shaming discourse since appearing on the hit Netflix series.
The conversation around body image and weight in the media remains a contentious issue, but stories like Oprah's serve as a reminder to embrace and celebrate our bodies, no matter what size or shape.
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