When you think of Oprah Winfrey, the word "failure" probably doesn’t come to mind. But even the most successful people face challenges that test their resilience. In a candid interview, Oprah, now 63, revealed how she battled depression after her first major box office flop with the 1998 film 'Beloved.' Let's dive into her story and how she overcame that dark period.
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When 'Beloved' Didn't Live Up to Expectations
Back in 1998, Oprah starred in and produced a film adaptation of Toni Morrison’s iconic novel 'Beloved.' Despite her best efforts and high hopes, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office. “I got a call from someone at the studio, and they said, ‘It’s over. You got beat by 'Chucky,'” Oprah recalled during an interview with Vogue. “And I said, ‘Who’s Chucky?’ What do you mean it’s over? It’s just Saturday morning!’ I had no idea about box office projections or weekend openings, and so began my descent into food and depression, suppressing all my feelings.”
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Oprah went on to describe how this failure led her down a dark path. “I actually started to think, ‘Maybe I really am depressed.’ It wasn’t just feeling bad about the movie; it was like I was behind a veil. I felt exactly like what many people had described on my show over the years, and I could never fully grasp. What’s depression? Why don’t you just pick yourself up?”
Oprah's Road to Recovery
Her battle with depression lasted about six weeks, but it was a turning point in her life. “That’s when the gratitude practice became incredibly powerful for me because it’s hard to stay sad if you focus on what you have, rather than what you don’t,” Oprah explained. “It taught me never to put all my hopes and dreams into something as unpredictable as box office success. You do the work as an offering, and whatever happens, happens.”
And if you're curious, here's another story: Oprah Winfrey Talks About Never Becoming a Mom — “I Didn’t Want Babies”.
Oprah in the 1998 movie 'Beloved'. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Oprah on Her Relationship with Stedman Graham
In the same interview with Vogue for the magazine’s September issue, Oprah also opened up about her long-standing relationship with her boyfriend, Stedman Graham. They’ve been together for over 30 years, and yet they’ve never tied the knot. “The only time I brought up marriage was when I asked Stedman, ‘What would have happened if we had actually gotten married?’ And the answer was clear: ‘We wouldn’t be together.’ We wouldn’t have stayed together because marriage requires a different kind of commitment and way of being in this world,” Oprah shared.
