Here's Why Oprah Winfrey Was Too Paranoid to Leave Her House for Nearly 300 Days

Oprah Winfrey was too afraid to step beyond her home back in 2020. The reason? COVID-19 pandemic! The media mogul and producer revealed her fear of leaving her home for work or other reasons. Winfrey reflected on the healthcare disparities in America when the COVID-19 pandemic drastically put everything on a standstill.

In contrast to her lavish vacations in previous years, which included trips to Ibiza and Fiji, as well as, the purchase of a luxury private jet in 2016, Winfrey's focus shifted in 2020.

During the pandemic, she was hesitant to leave home out of fear and caution shared worldwide. "I didn't leave home for 322 days — literally did not leave the house," the 70-year-old talk show host mentioned during an interview with The Los Angeles Times back in 2022. "I remember one point [close friend Gayle King] said, 'Don't you just miss being around other people?' I go, 'Eh, not really.' And I think it's because every day, I was in an audience of 350 people twice a day [on The Oprah Winfrey Show], so I've had shaking hands and autographs and selfies, and lots of attention, and exposure to being around a lot of people," she continued.

"I was able to be with myself in a way that I haven't been able to for years, because usually, even if I take time off for myself, I'm thinking about what is the next thing to come," she added. "Overall, I was able to adjust because I have the ability [and] a really strong sense of being in this present moment and living this moment without having to worry about the next," Winfrey mentioned as she revealed her struggle with fear amid the pandemic. 

"You can do that when you don't have to worry about where your next paycheck is coming from. I didn't have to worry about, 'Am I going to have rent? Am I going to be able to get food? Am I going to be able to keep the lights on and am I going to be able to take care of my children?' " she said. Winfrey finally stepped out only to be a part of The Color Purple.

"I took my first work trip in two and a half years and flew to Savannah, Georgia, to visit the set of the movie. Wouldn’t you know? It took The Color Purple to get me to finally leave my house," said Winfrey per Oprah Daily. Winfrey was one of the four producers involved in creating the 2023 adaptation of the film. The movie starred Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, and Colman Domingo, and featured a brief cameo by Whoopi Goldberg, who was also part of the original version.