In terms of popularity and financial success, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful women currently working in television. Known as the queen of the talk show, Oprah Winfrey had her own talk show that was syndicated and ran for more than 25 years. She was North America’s first black multi-billionaire and the richest African American of the 20th century. Despite her professional success, her personal life has come under great scrutiny. One reason for this is that Winfrey has never married. In the past, she has remained guarded about the reasons for this. Now, she has finally opened up about the reason that she is not married.
In an article published in O Magazine, Oprah Winfrey talked about her relationship with Stedman Graham. Despite being in a relationship with him since 1986 and Stedman having proposed in 1993, the two have never tied the knot to make their relationship official. Stedman Graham is an educator, author, businessman, and podcaster. Soon after meeting Winfrey in 1986, the couple began their relationship. Shortly after their 1993 engagement, Winfrey began to have doubts about getting married. It wasn’t long before she realized that she was not interested in marriage at all. It occurred to Winfrey that while she wanted Graham to ask her and to know that he believed she was worthy of making a lifelong commitment, that she didn’t want all of the elements that are associated with marriage. She specified these elements as being the daily commitment, the effort required to maintain married life, the compromises, and the sacrifices.
At the time of their engagement, Winfrey had other priorities in her life. It was at the height of her fame as a talk show host, and she wanted to prioritize her career. This was something that she knew, and that Graham understood. Winfrey added that they both believed that it is unlikely that their relationship would have lasted so long if they had taken the plunge and married. Although their wedding never went ahead, Winfrey and Graham have gone on to enjoy a long and stable relationship that has lasted for more than 30 years. According to Winfrey, the reason that their relationship has lasted so long is that Graham has his own identity other than simply being her partner. Another reason that she has given for them standing the test of time is that they both enjoy seeing each other fulfilling their destiny and purpose. They have offered each other constant support in their pursuits throughout their 30 year-plus relationship.
Talking about her partner, Winfrey has said that he is a very genuine man and that this is something upon which everyone who meets him has agreed. She says he is a very positive person who only wants the best for her. Other ways that she has described him are steady as a mountain, patient accountable, trustworthy, and even-tempered. Rather than marriage, Winfrey has described what she has with Graham as a spiritual partnership. She used the definition of this term given by Gary Zuvak, a spiritual teacher, to describe what this means. According to Zuvak, this is a partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth. Although she has not spoken about her decision not to marry often, Winfrey has covered this topic before. She has also discussed her decision not to have children. Winfrey has explained that her time hosting ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ has impacted on that decision. While hosting the talk show, she realized that there is a lot of responsibility and sacrifice involved in becoming a mother.
As the host of the show, she witnessed many people that she has described as messed-up, and the reason for this was often that they had parents who had not fully understood the responsibility involved in parenting. Winfrey told People magazine that she does not have the ability to compartmentalize different aspects of her life like many other women. In the interview, she admitted that she admires and respects women who choose to stay at home with their children as she thinks that this is a difficult job and one that she could not manage.
Many might wonder if Winfrey regrets her decisions never to marry or have children, but she says that is not the case. She has no regrets and believes that she has fulfilled her maternal side through her charitable work. This includes her charitable project, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Life could have turned out very differently for Winfrey as her start in life was far from fantastic. She was abused as a child and became pregnant at the age of 14. Sadly, her son was born prematurely and died soon after birth. This part of her life was something that she kept hidden from the public for many years. However, a family member revealed the information to the National Enquirer in 1990. Winfrey has since spoken about feeling betrayed by her family for revealing this information to the media as it was a private matter.
Prior to meeting Stedman Graham, Oprah Winfrey had several other long-term relationships, none of which led to marriage. Some of the people that have been romantically linked to Winfrey include composer John Tesh, reporter Lloyd Kramer, and movie critic Roger Ebert. Now, Winfrey is happy with her life and her relationship with Graham, and still has no intention of marrying the man she loves. The couple lives together on their estate, ‘The Promised Land’, which is located in Montecito, California. The property is set in 42-acres of grounds and sits by the ocean against a backdrop of mountains. They also own properties in Fisher Island in Florida, and Lavallette in New Jersey. Further properties they own are located in Chicago, Telluride, Hawaii, Antigua, Maui, and Orcas Island.
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