May 2022 bring to you and all those you love Blessings in Abundance!
For me, the greatest of the “Great Trees” has fallen: Sidney Poitier. My honor to have loved him as a mentor. Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish. Blessings to Joanna and his world of beautiful daughters 🙏🏾
Everyone who is spending Christmas at my house has to be vaccinated, boosted, tested, and quarantined. Stedman calls it “The Policy” cause I’m that serious about it. This was release day for our bubble and we knew we had to throw a welcome celebration for Baby Luca, who none of us had met yet! We missed his grandma @gayleking but she’ll join us once she completes the policy! Thank you to @bonfortunestyle and @anasballooncreations for helping bring the fun to Baby Luca’s first time at my house. Have a happy and safe holiday, everyone 🎄🎄🎄
Next time you receive change from a cashier, take a look at the palm of your hand: There’s a chance Maya Angelou will be staring back at you on a quarter. This marks the first time a Black woman has appeared on one. What a beautiful moment. Maya, look at what you did! 🪙🙏🏾
A few months ago, I read “Finding Me” by @violadavis and it knocked me out. I called her immediately and said we must have it as an @oprahsbookclub pick because everyone will want to get their hands on it and discuss it. We sat on my porch for a rousing chat about it (now available on Netflix), but it’s your turn to read it and talk about it with us. So buy your copy TODAY wherever books are sold and join us over at Oprah’s Book Club to share your thoughts because honey you might think you know Viola Davis but you do not know Viola Davis until you read her book. #ReadWithUs
Thanks to everyone for a love-filled birthday this weekend. And thanks to Chef @zairah for a delicious coconut pineapple soaked cake 🥳🎂
Who knew a snowstorm 46 years ago would gift us a friendship of almost five decades? Thank you to @PEOPLE for including us as an example on the beauty of friendships in their Beautiful Issue, @joepug for the shots, @stephengalloway for his inspired movement suggestions, and @gayleking for always providing the laughs when we’re together. The issue is available this Friday!
Monkey bread is a southern tradition that’s very hard to get right. Chef @thomasjraquel nailed it on the first try for @gayleking! What are y’all eating today? 🍞🎄🎁
Of course Blacked-eyed peas “Hoppin John“ is a staple for our good luck New Year’s Day brunch. But a favorite at our house is the Flavor Bomb Chicken Sandwich on a fresh baked cheddar biscuit prepared by @chefkennygilbert. Hope all your 2022 dreams manifest with delicious returns!
If you’ve been waiting for the right day, the right time, or some kind of sign…this is it. Today is the day. Day One starts now! Join me at ww.com so we can hit reset together and start 2022 on the right track! Goodbye two-week old cake, hello hydration 👋🏾 @ww #OprahandWW
Pull up a chair. Oprah + Viola: A Netflix Special Event launches April 22!
We’ve been watching a lot of movies around here but one that really got to us was #SwanSong on @appletvplus. It’s about a loving husband and father who’s diagnosed with a terminal illness and he has to decide if he should replace himself with a clone to shield his family from his loss. @mahershalaali was truly knockout and @naomieharris and @glennclose were fantastic. Standing O 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 What should we watch next?
The next @oprahsbookclub pick is “Finding Me” by @violadavis (out on Tuesday, April 26)! It’s a breathtaking memoir, that covers every chapter of her extraordinary life so far—from her beginnings in a one room shack on a former plantation in South Carolina to becoming the first actress to win the triple crown of acting. There are so many great lessons about triumphing through adversities that you won’t be able to put the book down. Follow @oprahsbookclub to watch my full announcement and stream our conversation tomorrow on @netflix #ReadWithUs
Every night during holiday season we eat delicious foods from different countries and tonight we had Haitian cuisine with Chef @gg30000. To my Haitians friends everywhere, enjoy your soup joumou on January 1st! 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹
It’s BYOB (bring your own bottle) tonight at @owntv with the second episode of @kingsofnapa! It’s about a family who owns their own vineyard. The wine is delicious but the drama is even juicier! See y’all tonight at 8|7c🍷🍷🍷 #KingsOfNapa
One of my favorite poems is “I Am a Black Woman,” by Mari Evans and it abides in my spirit since I memorized it in high school. It feels extremely defining in this moment. The last stanza is:
I am a Black woman—
Tall as a cypress
Strong
Defying place
and time
And circumstance
Assailed
Impervious
Indestructible
Look on me and be renewed.
I’m feeling great renewal today for the grit and grace of our new Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Photograph by @lelanief)
The day has come! Oprah + Viola: A Netflix Special Event is out now!
Best. Cake. EVER! Thank you to Chef @thomasjraquel for this incredible cake to celebrate @gayleking’s yellow birthday and to Chef @meilin21 and her beautiful team for the delicious dinner today and every day this holiday season.
Gayle and I have been besties since we were 21 and 22—now fast forward to today and we’re joined by her grandson Luca. What a life 🥳🥳🥳
A year ago, I released #WhatHappenedToYou with Dr. Bruce Perry. Our hope was that the book would help people heal from their childhood traumas and shift the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” What actually ended up happening was far greater than this little girl born in Kosciusko, Mississippi—and everything she went through—could’ve ever dreamed of. Not only did it spend one full year on the @nytimes bestseller list, but it connected with so many of you. Thank you to everyone who bought the book. I’m especially grateful to all of you who connected and made your own discoveries.
#WhatHappenedToYou is available at whathappenedtoyoubook.com, or wherever you buy or download your books. Tap the link in my bio to get your own copy!
A year ago, I released #WhatHappenedToYou with Dr. Bruce Perry. Our hope was that the book would help people heal from their childhood traumas and shift the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” What actually ended up happening was far greater than this little girl born in Kosciusko, Mississippi—and everything she went through—could’ve ever dreamed of. Not only did it spend one full year on the @nytimes bestseller list, but it connected with so many of you. Thank you to everyone who bought the book. I’m especially grateful to all of you who connected and made your own discoveries.
#WhatHappenedToYou is available at whathappenedtoyoubook.com, or wherever you buy or download your books. Tap the link in my bio to get your own copy!
A year ago, I released #WhatHappenedToYou with Dr. Bruce Perry. Our hope was that the book would help people heal from their childhood traumas and shift the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” What actually ended up happening was far greater than this little girl born in Kosciusko, Mississippi—and everything she went through—could’ve ever dreamed of. Not only did it spend one full year on the @nytimes bestseller list, but it connected with so many of you. Thank you to everyone who bought the book. I’m especially grateful to all of you who connected and made your own discoveries.
#WhatHappenedToYou is available at whathappenedtoyoubook.com, or wherever you buy or download your books. Tap the link in my bio to get your own copy!
Ready for a reset? @WW’s mantra for 2022: Live the life you love, lose the weight you want. You know I love that WW encourages healthy habits and now it’s even better! Because you can add points. Go out for a walk. Add points. Choose a healthy snack. Add points. Drink water? You guessed it, add more points! That’s why we kicked off the new year at my house with a water challenge. Some of us guzzled the water down like it was nothing, others paced themselves, and @gayleking took a little too long 🤣 But this goes to show that no two people are alike, which is why if you sign up for WW now, you’ll get a plan that’s 100% designed for you. I’m already feeling great, tracking in the WW app, and I’m getting extra steps walking back and forth from the bathroom 🤣 Visit ww.com to get your first 3 months for free! #OprahandWW
My next @oprahsbookclub pick is “The Way of Integrity” by @themarthabeck. For over 15 years, I have looked to Martha for her wisdom and marveled at how she helps people through crises in their lives. As we all navigate this watershed moment in our collective history, this book provides a roadmap on the journey to truth and authenticity. And to kick things off, Martha will join me for tonight’s “The Life You Want” Class at 7 PM EST at OprahDaily.com. We’ll be talking how we can all live with integrity so we never spend time questioning ourselves because our beliefs and actions are working in perfect harmony. Tap the link in my bio to sign up for the FREE @oprahdaily class and follow @oprahsbookclub to watch my full announcement. #ReadWithUs
Every single character from #TheColorPurple has been made iconic over the last 40 years through different iterations—from the Alice Walker novel to the Steven Spielberg movie to the Scott Sanders Broadway adaptations. Reimagining the beloved musical on to the big screen is a challenge, but we as producers feel prepared to take it head on with the team we’ve brought together. From day one we knew we had to find the right cast to live up to @blitzambassador directorial vision and Marcus Gardley’s magical script—and we found them in the knock-out @tasiasword (Celie), the mesmerizing @tarajiphenson (Shug), the charming @coreyhawkins (Harpo), the multi-faceted @hermusicofficial (Squeaky), the masterful @kingofbingo (Mister), and the beautiful and talented @hallebailey (Young Nettie). But Sofia has my heart and I am ready to pass the purple baton on to the incredible @daniebb3 who will bring her version to a new generation. See y’all at the movies when The Color Purple: The Musical hits theaters on December 20, 2023! 💜💜💜
