Oprah Speaks On Sex Trafficking Allegations

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“I can’t and don’t want to imagine an uglier accusation…”

Source: Ruven Afanador / O magazine

Oprah is speaking out over those insane allegations against her that dominated social media. In March around the time celebs like Tom Hanks confirmed that they had coronavirus, a salacious rumor picked up traction; one that alleged Oprah was involved in sex trafficking and child porn.

In case you missed it, here’s how the shady story started.

The bizarre rumor was part of a conspiracy theory that Hanks revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis so he wouldn’t be arrested for his part in a sex trafficking ring that Lady O was also allegedly part of. The kicker? Conspiracy theorists alleged that Harvey Weinstein was the one whistleblowing from behind bars and added that he had a laundry list of celebs to implicate who would be “arrested” next.

While anyone with common sense could see the absurdity of such claims, others fully believed it and Oprah became the #1 trending topic on Twitter. Oprah responded on Twitter and called it an “awful fake thing” and people moved on.

Still, Oprah’s admitting that the allegations shook her to her core. In the latest issue of O Magazine, Oprah says that being slandered online over fictitious and harmful rumors was her “worst fear.”

“Imagine sitting cozily in bed, when you get a phone call telling you you’re trending on Twitter. And you discover it’s a bogus and vile story that you were arrested and your home was raided for sex trafficking and child pornography,” said Oprah. “I can’t and don’t want to imagine an uglier accusation. At first I was confused. Yes, that’s my name: “Oprah.” But I’m in bed in my pj’s and socks, and somehow #OprahArrested is a thing. My worst fear realized. Being slandered, accused of a crime I didn’t commit.”

She also admitted that even after years of being famous, she’s never gotten used to reading false headlines that have followed her…

“In 1988, I pulled a wagon carrying 67 pounds of fat onstage during what is still the highest-rated Oprah show ever. From that day forward, I was exploited regularly with false, crude, inappropriate stories about me and food. And then about me and Stedman. And me and Gayle. Anything and everything that could sell a tabloid. Every week, another lie to ignore or deny. I never got used to it. I always feared what the next false headline would be. Why? Because I knew for sure that while a lot of people dismissed the stories, a lot of other people believed them.”

Source: Ruven Afanador / O magazine

and added that her fear of being falsely accused comes from her childhood.

“My fear of being punished for something I didn’t do stems from growing up being whupped for minor infractions. I grew up trying to please everyone to avoid the whipping. Lies are like those lashes. As a young girl, I never got angry; whippings made me sad. The same is true today. Except the sadness isn’t for myself—it’s for what I see the world becoming. How easy it is to slice, destroy, cancel someone with vitriol. How easily people swallow and spread that vitriol with gleeful memes.

Still, Oprah is taking the controversy in stride.

“No matter the challenge or situation, I always ask, what is this here to teach me? And even when I don’t know the answer, I know one thing for sure. To paraphrase Genesis 50:20: What man intended for evil, God intended for good.”

The June issue of O, The Oprah Magazine is on newsstands May 19, 2020.