TV superstar Oprah Winfrey has a half-sister named Patricia who was given up for adoption by Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, shortly after her birth in 1963.
That’s the big secret.
USA Today’s Judy Keen reports from Chicago that Patricia — whose last name was not revealed — lived in foster homes until she was 7, including some that were “not so good,” Oprah says on today’s Oprah Winfrey Show.
Patricia said she always hoped her birth mother would return for her. By 17, she was a single mother. She has two grown children, a daughter and son.
“Oh my God, I have a family” was her reaction when she found out she had three siblings, Patricia said. One of those siblings, the only one still alive, was Winfrey.
Just before Thanksgiving, Winfrey said, she was told “a bombshell family secret.”
Talking about adoption, birthparents, abandonment, race, and China with my kids. That's not all we talk about -- but reading this blog, you'll think it's all we do!!!!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Oprah's "Family Secret"
It's supposed to be revealed on today's show, but the media got the jump on it:
WOW - to wake up and realize your bio sis is Oprah Winfrey.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is a "true" bombshell for Oprah or not. Was she just ignoring this fact for years and now decided to reunite for ratings? Not nice, but just curious.
I didn't see the show, perhaps my glass is half empty today.
She (Oprah) states on the show that she had no idea she had another sibling. Her mother had kept it a secret for 40 years. She found out 10 minutes before filming a show.
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing and I am so happy for her.
I know this is a different topic but Nicole Kidman is really pissing me off. Have you heard some of her new quotes?
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts Malinda?
"She found out 10 minutes before filming a show"
ReplyDeleteI know that Oprah said this, but I'm sorry I do not believe her. If you have followed Oprah's special episodes about how they go about producing her show, you will know that NOTHING is "popped" on Oprah just before tape time.
I have a lot of respect for Oprah, but we need to be clear in understanding that she is first and foremost a control freak. Nothing happens without her say so in advance. She is also very savy in the Marketing and PR area of things. She does things for dramatic effect all the time on her programming. It will be even more so on her new network where she has complete and total control.
I can believe that at some point she was surprised to find out she had a half sister that her mother kept secret from her, but no way it was until shortly before taping. Nope. That is not Oprah.
She does however exagerate for effect on a regular bais. It plays well for her and feeds her audience.
She did not find out 10 minutes before taping that show (obviously!) She found out 10 minutes before taping A show in the past because everyone had been keeping the secret from her. Her assistant/staff knew before she did and I think they were nervous about how to break it to her. She knew something was being kept from her and forced them to tell her and they did before she went on air with a show one day. She found out about her sis some time ago and is just now talking about it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should find out the facts before attacking people? Even people that annoy us? Just a thought.
I hope Oprah will address the lies and secrecy that kept her sister and her apart all these years. The sealing/falsifying of birth certificates and the discrimination of adopted persons in this country must stop. Oprah could play a big part in making that happen.
ReplyDelete