April 12, 2010

SUN-TIMES STAFF



Whether she likes it or not, Kitty Kelley's unauthorized biography of Oprah Winfrey hits shelves on Tuesday.

Kitty Kelley’s unauthorized tell-all biography of Oprah Winfrey hits shelves on Tuesday,
and the buzz is already building about what secrets Kelley pried out of a very private woman’s life.

The Sun-Times got an early copy of the book, Oprah: A Biography,
and here are the most interesting and occasionally surprising talking points we found between the covers:


1. Oprah lived and slept with John Tesh


Early in her career, Oprah had a romance with former “Entertainment Tonight” host and New Age music-maker John Tesh. “He said one night he looked down and saw his white body next to her black body and couldn’t take it anymore. He walked out in the middle of the night ... He told me later he felt very guilty about it,” says a source.


2. Her current man is also nice but dull

As for Stedman Graham, Winfrey's longtime companion, one Kelley source in the book calls him "nice enough but boring as hell. So boring." Those who say they have spent time with the two told Kelley they're rarely demonstrative.

3. So does that mean she’s …?

Rumors have flourished claiming Oprah is a lesbian and that her best friend, Gayle King, is or once was her lover. Kelley tries to tackle that subject. Rosie O’Donnell’s speculation is included in the book, as is Winfrey confidant and author Erica Jong saying, “I would not be surprised if Oprah is gay. If she is, she is. It certainly fits.” As to whether or not Stedman constitutes a “beard” for another romantic life, Kelley writes, “Her close friends argued otherwise, saying he was the grounding force of her life. Others did not care one way or the other," Kelley writes. Jong adds: “Stedman is probably gay or neutral, but they have a bond. Her being gay would be the right reaction to the sexual abuse she says she's suffered and the mistrust she's always had of men.” Kelley concluded to USA Today: “I think she's just asexual. She's poured all of her energies into her career. And if she is, she is never ever, ever going to come out. So relax, people."

4. Oprah smoked crack

Oprah long ago revealed that she had smoked crack cocaine at one point in her 20s. Kelley digs deeper into this incident and claims Oprah has written about it for a 1993 scrapped autobiography, and that there’s an excerpt out there somewhere.

5. Oprah’s self-portrait: ‘prostitute’

Also allegedly covered in this as-yet-unseen autobiography is Oprah’s rather harsh evaluation of her own teenage years. In Kelley’s book, sources claim that Oprah referred to herself as a “prostitute” because of her teenage promiscuity. “She had talked about her teenage promiscuity, which is really kind of a natural outgrowth of a terrible, terrible sexual molestation she endured,” Kelley said Monday morning on the “Today” show.

6. Oprah’s son lived a short while

We knew Oprah had a baby boy at age 15, and we knew the baby died during or shortly after the birth. We didn’t know that the baby actually lived for one month and eight days. “Oprah never talked about her lost baby,” said her sister, Patricia, a drug addict who died in 2003 of an overdose. “It was a deep family secret that was almost never discussed within the family.” Kelley adds Winfrey’s description from Ebony magazine: “Everybody in the family sort of shoved it under a rock. Because I had already been involved in sexual promiscuity they thought if anything happened it had to be my fault and because I couldn't definitely say that he [her uncle Trent] was the father, the issue became ‘Is he the father?’ Not the abuse."

7. Vernon Winfrey is not her real father

And here’s the kicker: Kelley knows who Oprah’s real father is — but she’s not telling. She does, however, get Vernon on the record with some colorful, antagonistic quotes, like, “I need her show like a hog needs a holiday!” and “"She may be admired by the world, but I know the truth. So does God and so does Oprah. Two of us remain ashamed."

8. No rainbows on ‘The Color Purple’

The legendary director plucked the talk show hostess to star in 1985’s “The Color Purple,” even though she had no acting experience. She implored Spielberg to put her name on the marquee, but the director was unswayed, leading to a strained relationship for many years. Writer Alice Walker has no idea why Oprah never communicated after the film’s opening, and co-star Whoopi Goldberg was frosted too. “She forged strong friendships on the set, but few survived the passage of time,” Kelley writes.

9. She really does give big

As the host of the one-time charity-related TV series, “Oprah’s Big Give,” Oprah puts her money where her mouth is. According to Kelley, Oprah’s total giving from 1998 to 2007 totaled $230 million.

10. ‘Oprah doesn’t do stairs’

Oprah had private appointments at two art galleries across the street from each other in Washington, D.C., to view paintings. When she was finished at one gallery, the owner started to walk her out of the shop to the other gallery. “Oprah does not walk,” Oprah said. But she did when a busload of kids passed by and waved to her. Once inside the other gallery, she was posed with a new challenge: a staircase. “Oprah does not do stairs,” Oprah said.

mmmm.... I don't know about the truth of #8. Oprah was gushing thankfulness at an old tribute to Spielberg. Maybe it's on youtube.

Another book of "inside sources" I see.

I'd love to hear Paul Mooney's take on this.

What nonsense. Her father isn't her father, she's bisexual, and Stedman is dull. False, false, and big deal. Her baby lived for 5 weeks. Okay, no one has ever denied that. Sounds like the regular bullshit by Kitty Kelly.

Harlepolis said:

exactly

She ain't revealed shit we already know:

1.) She had a baby
2.) She was promiscuous as a teen
3.) She did crack

Other than that, the other stories sound bullshitty.

The John Tesh thing is unexpected, but not particularly earth shattering. And in a sense, I actually kinda feel bad for him. After all the crap hurled Oprah's way, she won't bat an eye over this (and she shouldn't), and if the story is true I'm guessing they've long since processed it, with Oprah forgiving Tesh and them moving on to be pleasant acquaintances. He, on the other hand, has now got to deal with the side eye from a nation of strangers, some of whom will, 40 years after the fact, hold against him the insecurities of a 20-year-old kid in an interracial relationship in 1970s' Dixie. That's gotta suck.
[Edited 4/12/10 19:48pm]

“Oprah does not walk,”

“Oprah does not do stairs,”

Didn't oprah produce the musical the color purple? I think she respects the work. As for keeping up with the past folks. I don't keep up with everyone that I have been in projects with.
Sounds like the author is making a whole lot a noise about nothing.

kewlschool said:

It was WHOOPI that actually had a problem with the musical last I heard. Oprah on the other hand was all happy to be a part of the musical. So if she had any qualms over the film, it got squashed 25 years ago.

And Oprah's "relationship" with John Tesh is as relevant as a Fabio cover on a romantic novel.

why doesnt someone write a bio about Kitty Kelly?

funkpill said:

and then slap it on the poor thyroids.

i kiiid i kiiiid.
[Edited 4/12/10 20:23pm]

funkpill said:

She should've mentioned "Oprah loves to eat".

That would get Ms. Sophia to wanna smack that heifer.

sonic said:

My hunch is she's got the most boring, miserable life in the history of humanity. That's why she keeps writing this crap about everyone else.

sonic said:

probably will come out after she's dead and we'll all be shocked to learn that she's illiterate and hears voices in her head.

Who's Kitty Kelly anyway?

Timmy84 said:

Some tramp with a journalism degree from the University of Cracker Jack.

DesireeNevermind said:

Oh OK.

sonic said:

Thought there was one written about her

DesireeNevermind said:

Or more specifically, a gossip lady from the 70's & 80's famous for writing tell all books on celebrities. I didn't even know she was still living! When I was little my mom used to love her books, collected them all. My mother was the quintessential 1980's , cigarette smoking, vodka stinger stinger drinking, read my Kitty Kelly book at the beauty shop before I go pick up the dry cleaning kinda woman who loved that stuff. Her generation lived for Kitty Kelly, Rona Barrett, Liz Smith, and Cindy Adams the way later generations live for Access Holllywood and "Extra!"

Timmy84 said:

Agreed. Oprah has always safeguarded and championed the story for the masses; Whoopi did in fact admit (as even as late as last year) that it was difficult for her to release Celie, metaphorically speaking. While she wanted the musical to succeed, it was difficult for her to let that character go and let it fly with others, she felt possessive of Celie and what the character meant in her own life.

Ottensen said:

Exactly.

I never cared for Celie. I was always a Sophia kind of girl. Although I never saw Fantasia in the broadway role of Celie...I hear she knocked it out and did better than Whoopie.

DesireeNevermind said:

"You'll never be me Fantasia, NEVER bitch!"

Timmy84 said:

OMG

uPtoWnNY said:

Yaza miss Barbara

funkycat00 said:

That's the funniest shit I've heard in weeks!!!

"I remember when my mother tried to abort me. I HELD ON! I HELD ON!"

funkycat00 said:

That one is def a classic.

I can't stand that skinny fat bitch

But seriously, Paul has always confessed that he have a "love/hate" relationship with her.