Oprah Winfrey has been such a personal part of our lives for so long, she feels like a member of the family. We’ve followed her through all the ups and downs, success and failures. One issue that Black women in particular have connected with her over is her constant battle with her weight. Over the years, we’ve seen Oprah go up and down in size, with it always making headlines when she loses a drastic amount. During her recent panel, The Life You Want Class: The State of the Weight, the Emmy winner discussed the scrutiny surrounding her weight.
“So you all know I’ve been on this journey for most of my life,” Winfrey said. “My highest weight was 237 lbs. I don’t know that there is another public person whose weight struggles have been exploited as much as mine over the years. So I am ready for this conversation.”
As she’s hit the press tour for The Color Purple, it’s become clear that she’s once again gone through a major change. During the film’s star-studded premiere on Wednesday, she revealed her pretty simple process telling Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier, “It’s not one thing, it’s everything.”
That may not seem like a major scoop, but honestly, it’s the only way you can truly get healthier. In January, everyone will start looking for an easy fix to their issues, but the hard truth is the only thing that sticks is a healthy diet and regular exercise.
As gorgeous as Oprah looked in her purple gown, she kept the focus on the stars of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Oprah first captured our attention with her iconic performance as Sofia in the 1985 movie. Danielle Brooks takes over the role in the new film, and the media mogul couldn’t be happier with the Broadway actress’ work.
“Playing that character changed me. One of the great joys for me was to be on set watching Danielle Brooks, take it on and make it her own,” Winfrey said. “When you get to be a woman of a certain age, one of the great deep joys for your life is the satisfaction of being able to pass it on to someone.”
As a producer on the new film, she strongly believes in the enduring legacy of the themes of The Color Purple.
“I believe that there’s something special that when Alice Walker wrote this back in 1982 when it was first released, that it put something into the world that was deeply meaningful, powerful, resilient, hopeful,” she said. “I think that message of forgiveness and joy is always needed.”
Directed by Blitz Bazawule and starring Fantasia Barrino as Celie; Colman Domingo as Mister; Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery; Danielle Brooks as Sofia; Corey Hawkins as Harpo; H.E.R. as Squeak; Ciara as Nettie; Halle Bailey as Young Nettie; and Louis Gossett Jr. as Ol’ Mister, The Color Purple opens in theaters Dec. 25.