Oprah Winfrey Talks About Her Hurtful Experience: "Making Fun of My Weight Was a National Sport"

Oprah Winfrey has shared one of the most painful public experiences she's faced. The media mogul spoke candidly about how her weight became a national obsession for decades.

On a recent podcast episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, Winfrey revealed the toll this took on her. "Making fun of my weight was national sport for 25 years," she said. This mockery came from all sides - tabloids, comedians, and TV shows. Winfrey recalled specific incidents that hurt her deeply.

“One of the most hurtful things was In Living Color had done a skit where the woman was doing something and she just kept eating and getting fatter and fatter and fatter. And the comedy bit was that eventually she just exploded," Winfrey recalled.

The audience found it hilarious, but Winfrey, still pained by the memory, added, "And the woman was me." This kind of cruel humor was commonplace back then. "It was just accepted that you could make fun of me and my weight," Winfrey explained, as per HuffPost.

The pain wasn't just from comedy shows. Winfrey remembered a magazine cover that called her "Drumpy, Frumpy and Downright Lumpy." These harsh words accompanied a photo of her in a "beautiful black dress" from 1987.

Even when Winfrey lost weight, she faced challenges. In 1988, she famously wheeled a wagon of fat onto her show. It represented the 67 pounds she'd lost on a liquid diet. But the triumph was short-lived. "Three days later, I was 5 pounds heavier," Winfrey shared. Within a week, she'd gained 10 pounds. The rapid weight gain left her feeling ashamed. She even skipped a star-studded Christmas party because she felt "too fat to go," as per People.

Winfrey's weight struggles affected her deeply. The constant focus on her size was exhausting. "For 25 years, every single week in one form or another, there was some tabloid exploitation of my weight," Winfrey revealed. It seemed like everyone felt free to comment on her body.

Now, at 70, Winfrey is ready to leave this baggage behind. "I'm not carrying it into the next decade," she declared. "I'm done with it. I was judgmental because I have been so judged. I actually don't know anybody who's been more publicly judged about their weight than myself and I have carried and borne the shame of other people."

Winfrey isn't alone in facing such scrutiny. Other celebrities have spoken out about similar experiences. Victoria Beckham, for instance, recalled being criticized for her post-pregnancy body.

She said tabloids pointed out where she "needed to lose weight" after having her first child. Beckham also shared a disturbing TV incident.

Shortly after giving birth, a host made her weigh herself on air. "Can you imagine doing that nowadays?" she asked, highlighting how times have changed.