Oprah Winfrey 'Looking Forward' to Interviewing Jason Collins, Family
Oprah Winfrey is gearing up to interview the first active professional athlete to reveal his homosexuality, NBA veteran Jason Collins.
Winfrey will feature Collins, the 34-year-old Washington Wizards Center, on her OWN network series "Oprah's Next Chapter." The 59-year-old media maven announced that Collins would appear on her show after he made headlines for announcing his sexual preference in Sports Illustrated magazine.
"Looking forward to talking with @jasoncollins34 and his family on #NEXTCHAPTER this Sunday at 8p ET," Winfrey tweeted to over 18 million followers.
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Along with the NBA player, Winfrey will sit down with the homosexual athlete's twin brother and former NBA player Jarron Collins, his parents, sister-in-law Elsa Collins and the first person he told about his sexual preference-his aunt Teri Jackson.
"Jason Collins reflects on the worldwide reaction following his decision to reveal that he is a gay man and remarks how he hopes his story will further the conversation around equality," a statement about the upcoming show reads on Oprah.com.
Collins gained notoriety this week when he revealed that he is a homosexual to Sports Illustrated.
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different … If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand," Collins revealed on SportsIllustrated.com Monday. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation."
While Collins' revelation sparked mixed reactions, people also had opposing views about Winfrey's decision to feature him on her show. One person said the media maven's decision to interview Collins amid such controversy was predictable.
"Oprah predictably lands interview with Jason Collins, still not going to watch," the person tweeted.
Another individual felt the exact opposite.
"I'll be watching," the person tweeted.
The show is scheduled to air this Sunday, May 5, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. ET/PT
