Oprah Winfrey reveals in the February issue of O, The Oprah Magazine the tragedy of her stillborn baby and the betrayal of the family member who exposed it.
Winfrey writes that the relative, whom she doesn’t name but whom the Associated Press identifies as her half-sister, Patricia Lloyd, “sat in a room, told them the story of my hidden shame and left their offices $19,000 richer.”
“I took to my bed and cried for three days. I felt devastated. Wounded. Betrayed. How could this person do this to me?…Only my family and closest friends knew. I would tell no one until I felt safe enough to share my dark past: the years I was sexually abused, from age 10 to 14, my resulting promiscuity as a teenager, and finally, at 14, my becoming pregnant…I imagined that every person on the street was going to point their finger at me and scream, ‘Pregnant at 14, you wicked girl … expelled! [but] no one said a word … not strangers, not even people I knew. I was shocked. Nobody treated me differently. For 20 years, I had been expecting a reaction that never came”
“And I soon realized that having the secret out was liberating. … What I learned for sure was that holding the shame was the greatest burden of all”
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7 responses so far ↓
Breanne // Jan 26, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I think it is horrible to imagine a family member exposing their half sister the way hers did, I only hope it wasn’t a family member who sexually abused her in the first place. What an awful ordeal.
Melanie // Feb 9, 2007 at 9:26 pm
However, had the ‘family member’ not revealed Oprah’s secret, she would still be carrying the burden of shame which was never hers to carry in the first place. Now she has let go of that burden and is free.
In my life I have learnt that those who treat you badly and betray you, are often your best teachers. Once a lesson is learnt, it not only frees you - it can also help you show others how to be free.
There is a purpose in all things.
Melanie
lorna // May 19, 2007 at 11:57 pm
i think it is ok to feel bad, to cry and to question life or situation. but after those feelings, 1st forgive your self about your past and then forgive others for what they have done for you, this is also what i’ve learned and a day to day struggle. free yourself of pain because that’s what forgiveness is.
God bless
you are a great person, you are doing great things for others, you have a purpose, a great purpose for the less people. i think you walked and experienced the past to polish you to be and to do great things for others. you are like a pearl that was/is being polished to perfection.
Cheryl // Jul 18, 2007 at 2:55 am
Oprah is a very brillant and talented woman make no mistake about that, that is no secret. I really admire you Oprah, and have always been told by the wiser, “bad news travels much quicker than good news, child.” What a sister will do for a few bucks really amazes me. Apparently, her sister is envious of her success, and has no pride of her inner soul to reveal such a sensitive matter during Oprah’s trying times in her youthful yerars. As a sister she should have been supporting her mentally instead of mental cruelty to gain a buck, for what?
Continue to shine, Oprah!
Ruth // Jul 22, 2007 at 3:55 am
My prayers are with you. There are more people who love and admire you than those who seek to harm you. Stay faithful and stay focused on your God-given purpose in life.
Ruth // Jul 22, 2007 at 3:58 am
My prayers are with you. There are more people who love and admire you than those who seek to hurt you. Stay faithful and stay focused on the gift that God is using to bless so many people, including me.
Francesca Aiello // Jan 9, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Beautiful Oprah,
No one should feel shame for what someone does to an innocent child………..
But l truly believe God gave you “WINGS” so you could eventually “FLY”, and you are so doing that know, l am so proud of your accomplishments…your spirit, your faith and more important your will to teach other people that you can survive beyond your wildest dreams, you are an inspirtation to all us all.
I have also been raped…but a differnt kind of rape……..a rape of your “IDENITY”, but that is a whole show of it own.
Maybe my Dream will come true one day to be on OPRAH
God Bless you
Francesca Aiello
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