The American talk show host and entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey, is a self-made woman. Her ascension to success simply cannot be overstated. After all, she became an author, producer, philanthropist, businesswoman, and CEO of a multimedia production company. At the age of 49, she became one of the very few African American female billionaires worldwide.
While she comes from a very rough background, Winfrey now enjoys a lavish life that she's created for herself. One of the many things she worked on was her relationship. She's been in a deeply private relationship with Stedman Graham for 36 years. However, their relationship is rather unconventional and kind of confusing.
7 Who Is Oprah Winfrey's Boyfriend, Stedman Graham?
While Graham became famous for being Winfrey's boyfriend, he is much more than that. The 71-year-old American educator was married before he and Winfrey started dating. He has a daughter and a granddaughter who considers Winfrey her grandmother.
Graham is a businessman, public and motivational speaker, and author. Having professional experience as a tennis instructor, he loves sports. Now, he is the CEO and founder of sports-focused management and consulting company with a net worth of $10 million.
6 Oprah Winfrey And Stedman Graham Have Been Dating For 36 Years
The couple met through a mutual friend and started dating in 1986. Graham proposed to her six years later, and she said yes. However, the couple canceled their wedding ceremony and never rescheduled.
According to Winfrey and Graham, their relationship wouldn't have survived if they got married. Instead, they have a very flexible relationship, where the couple is officially together and shares a life but are not conventionally married.
5 Oprah Winfrey Doesn't Want To Be Married But Wants To Be Proposed To
Winfrey wrote in an essay published in Magazine O that she didn't want a marriage, and just wanted to be asked. "I wanted to know he felt I was worthy of being his missus, but I didn’t want the sacrifices, the compromises, the day-in-day-out commitment required to make a marriage work. My life with the show was my priority, and we both knew it."
Furthermore, Winfrey told Vogue in 2017, "We would not have stayed together because marriage requires a different way of being in this world. His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional, and I would not have been able to fit into that."
4 Stedman Graham Is Not Just "Oprah's Man"
Graham has shared many times that their relationship is successful because of their independence and individuality. He said in an interview with CNN that his identity doesn't revolve around being Oprah's boyfriend.
Graham said, "I'm with a very special person who is — she's just so unbelievable, but that has nothing to do with my life. That's her life. I just support her in her life. And she supports me in my life." Each of them has their own interests and separate lives.
3 Oprah Winfrey's Best Friend, Gayle King, Has Always Been A Part Of The Relationship
Winfrey's best friend of more than 40 years has been a huge part of the couple's romantic relationship. Apparently, King has gone on every single vacation Winfrey and Graham went on since 1993. The tradition started after King got divorced and according to King, "The three of us have had a wonderful time."
To the public, this comes off as a little strange. Winfrey's stepmother has said that her stepdaughter and King are inseparable. They even talk on the phone daily more than three times. She continued and said, "I don't know any man I've ever dated who could tolerate that."
Moreover, Winfrey has said before that her friendship with King is better than marriage and more meaningful. Since Winfrey and King are still just as close, it seems like Graham does tolerate it!
2 There Are Claims That Oprah and Stedman's Relationship Is A Cover
In a book by Kitty Kelley called "Oprah: A Biography," Kelley claims that Winfrey's relationship with Graham is a cover to hide her sexuality. Reportedly, she has paid people before to keep her same-sex affairs a secret. According to the book, the couple do not sleep in the same room. In a statement by Vernon, Winfrey's father, he said that she admitted to him that she didn't love Stedman.
Another thing that the book brought up is a testimonial from a landscaper who used to work for Winfrey and Graham. He said, "Oprah keeps Stedman around because she wants her audience to accept her as a normal woman with a man in her life. From what I saw during those four years, I can tell you there's nothing there with Stedman. Nothing at all. He's simply a fixture in her life - window dressing.”
Such claims shook up everything people know about Winfrey and Graham's decades-long relationship. However, they have not been proven and should be looked at as nothing more than hearsay.
1 Stedman Graham Has A Lot Of Competition
Graham is comfortable in their relationship, as he and Winfrey know exactly where they stand. Winfrey has said before that she is with a man who appreciates the fact that she is considered a powerful person. According to her, "He is not trying to crowd in on it, not competing with it. He knows how to hold his own."
In an interview with Ellen, Graham spoke about his relationship with Winfrey. He discussed how he cares about Winfrey's happiness and becoming the best she can be. Graham proceeded to say, "For me, I've been able to find my own happiness... and I am satisfied with that."
It seems like the couple is in a satisfied and comfortable relationship. However, Winfrey's stepmother has said that their relationship is more like a business transaction. She said that their relationship is bizarre and unhealthy. In light of those claims and Kelley's, Winfrey's and Graham's relationship is very confusing. On one hand, it seems to have a healthy and balanced dynamic, on the other, there are a lot of negative claims and rumors circulating about the couple.
