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Oprah Winfrey gets emotional as she discusses painful childhood trauma

Oprah Winfrey reflects on her strained relationship with late mother

By Web Desk
February 12, 2025
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        Oprah Winfrey gets emotional as she discusses painful childhood trauma

        Oprah Winfrey gets emotional as she discusses one of her painful childhood traumas that still haunts her after so many years.

        Speaking on her self-titled podcast, the media mogul broke down in tears as she reflected on her strained relationship with her late mother Vernita Lee, who passed away in 2018.

        Oprah, who was joined by American psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry, senior fellow of the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, remembered her struggle to say something positive about her mother at a church after her death.

        “I had been asked to come to church to give all these accolades about my mother and I couldn't think of one thing,” said the 71-year-old as she choked up.

        Oprah Winfrey gets emotional as she discusses painful childhood trauma

        The Color Purple star shared the only best memory she could think of at the time was her mother “didn’t abort me. She did the best that she knew”.

        She continued, “The best that she knew was not enough to feed what I needed, was not enough to make me feel whole.”

        “…Was not enough to make me feel valued or seen or important to her. It was not,” remarked Oprah.

        However, she added, “It was the best that she could do, and I gave up the hope that it could have been anything other than what she had.”