Oprah & Gay Rumors -- Pictures Tell Story

Oprah, Gayle and Stedman

Oprah says she's not gay -- period. Winfrey says she felt compelled to proclaim to the world – in the August issue of O Magazine -- that she and longtime best friend Gayle King are not lovers.

Oprah was clearly looking to put out a fire, but it made us wonder: Where did all the smoke come from? Here's a photo and video timeline that may explain how the gay rumors got fueled.

Between 1987 and 2000, Oprah and Stedman Graham seemed inseparable, appearing at countless events and frequently photographed showing plenty of PDA.

Oprah and Steadman: click to launch the photo gallery!

As the cameras rolled, Oprah and Stedman rolled on.

Oprah and Stedman: click to watch!

Then, suddenly, Stedman could have ended up on a milk carton -- there are a scant few pictures of the couple after 2000. But as quickly as Stedman faded from the scene, Gayle King emerged, side-by-side, with O.

Oprah and Gayle: click to launch the photo gallery!

And there's more.



The two people closest to Oprah in the world are rarely seen together with the talk show queen. TMZ found only a few photos.

Oprah, Gayle and Stedman: click to launch the photo gallery!

And the story doesn't end here. Stedman has talked openly about how he and Oprah lead their own lives.

Stedman: click to watch!

Indeed, at event after event -- especially after 2000 -- Oprah often showed up solo, sometimes talking about her close relationship with Gayle.

Oprah: click to watch!

And right back at you, Oprah. At this year's Tony Awards, Gayle gushed about her famous friend.

Gayle: click to watch!

Gayle, who is divorced with two sons, helps run O Magazine and the pair are inseparable. When they're not together, they talk multiple times every day.

So that's where the smoke came from and why Oprah chose to put out the fire.




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Filed under: Life Style, Oprah

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 152) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. Oprah is not gay. Stedman is.

Posted at 7:28PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Sommer

2. like all powerful people... Oprah will always be rumored to have a female lover...

period.

regardless if her true sexuality.

and it's sad to see that a close relationship that's been around since college needs to be defined by such terms.

Posted at 7:45PM on Jul 18th 2006 by busybee

3. Yeah whoever wrote this did a horrible job checking their resources. This is a really sloppy article filled with inaccuracies. And furthermore Gayle does not have 2 sons

Posted at 7:47PM on Jul 18th 2006 by lisa

4. with the way people are these days, I can't say I blame her. I have a close friend that I spend hours on the phone with, we talk at least once a day (more like 3) and when we're not talking, we're usually hanging out. I'm married with a kid, she's single, but so what. She likes guys (we talk about them a lot too lol) we're just in sync with each other so much we say what the other one is thinking. She's family to me, and I love her to death, and would do anything in the world for her. But we dont have sex. Why do people think ya have to be sleeping with someone if you love them? Sheesh.

Posted at 7:54PM on Jul 18th 2006 by sheesh

5.
As far as I am concerned they would make a cute
gay pair.

Posted at 7:58PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Dehlan

6. i dont believe her, the new cars and other things she give away i heard is pd by someone else , so why believe her now. . i think this is the reason she not married.

Posted at 8:03PM on Jul 18th 2006 by williammccotter

7. forget you

Posted at 8:06PM on Jul 18th 2006 by williammccotter

8. People by nature are very malicious and mean. Oprah is very famous and there's nothing that a lot of people would want but to discredit her in any way possible. So what "IF" she's into a gay relationship?! I'm just so convinced that everyone out there who snoops into somebody else's private and personal business, no matter what it is, should be tossed where they deserve to be and your guess is as good as mine. And by the way, whatever happened to NO DISCRIMINATION
in all forms? Isn't that what America has been fighting for?

Posted at 8:15PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Maria Victoria Kotler

9. I think that its a real shame that as soon as someone usually female is insanely successful that automatically the media portrays them as lesbians. Straight woman with ambition do exist, in fact there is many of them.

Posted at 8:18PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Kat

10. Is it not normal to have a best friend like that? I have a "gayle" in my life...everyone should. Different people fill different roles in my life. I feel sorry for someone who doesn't have a best friend like that.

Posted at 8:24PM on Jul 18th 2006 by jennifer

11. It's probably men who think they're gay. Women are able to have close loving friendships, even sleep together with or without sex, without it meaning they're gay lovers. But most men can't think that way, I have some redneck friends who think you're gay if you don't have a gun rack, lol! People, believe me you can be very close to a dear friend of the same sex, and perhaps even play together sexually, and still be totally hetero in your head and in your heart. That wouldn't even make you bi necessarily. Which makes me wonder, notice that nobody has asked her if she's bisexual? People always ask if someone is gay, but not bi. So if Oprah were bi and said she's not gay, well then she's telling the truth, right? But I'm not suggesting she's bi and I really don't care. I'm happy that she has such a long-time friend, someone she can trust to help run her business, and someone she can confide in.

Posted at 8:27PM on Jul 18th 2006 by My Two Cents

12. Unfortunately, there are so many gay relationships nowadays until most people really aren't sure where there is a close same sex relationship. Loosen up people. Oprah is not gay!!!!! Seeing in the sexual act is truth, not rumors. I don't think I have read or heard that anyone has seen them engaged in a sexual act. Stop gossiping! It's not healthy.

Posted at 8:28PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Jacqueline

13. I think she's being smart. Better to show up with Gayle than to show up with Stedman and have people start speculating on the status of their relationship. Besides, I don't think he digs the red carpet like she does ...

Posted at 8:30PM on Jul 18th 2006 by glammie

14. would it really make a difference? if it does, then someone's got a little more evolving to do. as long as oprah continues to do good, i don't care who she sleeps with or what else she does with her life as long as no one is being hurt. sleep well oprah...it makes no difference to me!!!! :)

Posted at 8:37PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Dodger Girlie

15. Is it me, or does Stedman kinda look like O.J.?

Posted at 8:44PM on Jul 18th 2006 by Erika

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