Oprah Winfrey has had countless people discuss her body over her years in the spotlight.
The daytime icon, 71, appeared on the Weds, Jan. 14 episode of The View to discuss her new book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It’s Like to Be Free, which she co-wrote with Dr. Ania Jastreboff.
During the conversation, Winfrey discussed what it was like to have her body publicly scrutinized throughout her daytime television career.
“What I felt all those years, the shame and the blame that I gave to myself, I felt it was because it was my fault. I felt it was my fault I was overweight,” Winfrey shared.
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“So, when comedians made fun of me, I felt like, ‘Well, it’s okay for me to be the butt of their jokes because I should be losing the weight. I should be able to keep the weight off.’ I felt embarrassed every time I put the weight back on. I accepted it because I felt that they were right.”
Winfrey recalled an interview with comedian Joan Rivers in 1985 on The Tonight Show, which was Winfrey’s first appearance on the late-night show. While the then-up-and-comer was “excited,” that joy was dashed when the conversation turned to her weight.
“Joan Rivers said to me, ‘Shame, shame, shame on you for not losing the weight. How did you gain the weight?’ ” Winfrey recalled, noting that the “horrible moment” came “when I was so excited to be there for the first time, and I bought these new shoes and I spent my entire paycheck.”
“I remember leaving feeling embarrassed, but she said I could come back if I lost 15 pounds. I wasn’t even upset with her. I thought, ”I’ve got to get on it, I’ve got to lose those 15 pounds.’ ”
That same year, Winfrey had an empowering experience, being cast in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. She praised her character, Sofia, because “she owned it, she owned the weight, she carried the weight.”