Oprah Winfrey Reveals Near Breakdown, Relied on Stedman for Support
Oprah Winfrey may lead a charmed life now, but she has worked hard and overcome many struggles throughout her life and career. In a recent interview, Winfrey revealed that she had come close to having a nervous breakdown and relied upon fiancé Stedman Graham to help her through.
During a segment on her talk show, Jason Russell spoke about his own nervous breakdown, which led to Winfrey thinking, "I have those symptoms," she told People magazine.
"I remember closing my eyes while I was reading. I thought, 'I cannot have another thing enter my brain.' I needed to pull back. After 25 years of being No. 1, I had become accustomed to success. I didn't expect failure. I was tested and I had to dig deep," Winfrey said.
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It was a tumultuous time for her as she transitioned from talk-show host to cable TV producer and owner. The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) struggled during its first years but has seemingly recovered with a new round of programming. Yet Winfrey had to prove herself to TV executives and her harshest critics.
"People were counting me out," she explained. "The schadenfreude was very painful for me because I had never experienced it. I thought, 'Do I not get credit for the 25 years? What have I gotten myself into?'"
Graham, she said, was the one who helped her the most during this time. He offered her advice, which she promptly took, and managed to turn things around.
"He was amazing. He said, 'You can't even think about quitting. You have been in cruise control. It's gonna turn around, but you've gotta do the work.' We're like an old married couple," Winfrey added. "I've seen people crawl over him, push him aside. He's learned how to navigate that. That takes a confident man… that embodies who he is."
While the two have been engaged for 21 years, they have not announced when they actually intend to marry. For right now, both seem happy where they are in their relationship.
Winfrey can currently be seen on the big screen in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" opposite Forest Whitaker.
