Oprah Shares How Her Weight Doesn’t Impact Her Relationship with Stedman Graham
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham.
Credit :
Jamie Green; Prince Williams/Wireimage
NEED TO KNOW
- Oprah Winfrey has been with her partner Stedman Graham for nearly 40 years.
- Winfrey, 71, states Graham has been by her side at both her heaviest and thinnest times.
- She emphasizes that Graham “has been nothing but supportive.”
Oprah Winfrey has reflected on her nearly 40-year relationship with Stedman Graham, revealing that he has been a constant source of support during her struggles with obesity.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Winfrey stated, “He has absolutely been nothing but supportive through all of it. When he met me, I was 200 pounds. And it’s never made one iota of a difference.”
Winfrey’s longtime hair stylist, Nicole Mangrum, noted the depth of their relationship, saying, “I see there’s love and care and commitment. He’s somebody who’s encouraging, and they’re just there for each other.”
Winfrey recounted a moment of self-doubt early in their relationship in 1988 while attending a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks. As she sat beside Graham and heard Tyson’s weight announced at 218 pounds, she thought, “Wow, here’s this handsome guy sitting with somebody who weighs as much as the heavyweight champion of the world.”
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham at a Mike Tyson fight in 1988.
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In her upcoming book co-written with obesity expert Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, titled Enough: Your Health, Your Weight and What It’s Like to Be Free, Winfrey addresses her feelings during that boxing match: “In that moment, I felt sorry for Stedman.”
She clarified, however, that the shame was self-imposed and not something Graham placed on her. “He was with me at my heaviest,” she recounted when recalling a painful memory from 1992, when she weighed 237 pounds at the Daytime Emmy Awards. Faced with finding attire, she felt ashamed and even reluctant to be measured.
Winfrey managed to have a custom suit made but found herself hoping she wouldn’t win so she wouldn’t have to take the stage. “I was confident that we should win Best Talk Show and Best Talk Show host, but I just didn’t want to be in that overweight body,” she said.
Winfrey in 1992 accepting a Daytime Emmy Award.
John Barrett/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com
When her name was announced as the winner, Winfrey described the wave of embarrassment she felt, particularly fearing how others would perceive her as she walked on stage.
Winfrey and Graham at a family celebration with Gayle King in November 2025.
gayle king/instagram
Currently, Winfrey is using GLP-1 medication for managing her weight, indicating that it has helped her shift her focus away from food and her body image. She believes this transformation has positively influenced her relationships, including that with Graham.
“I’ve seen all of my relationships improve because the energy and presence and vitality and clarity that I bring to them is so different,” Winfrey expressed. “I just feel like I have more to give to everybody.”
Oprah Winfrey photographed for PEOPLE in December 2025.
Winfrey’s book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It’s Like to Be Free, is slated for release on January 13.
