Oprah Winfrey recalls being fat shamed by Joan Rivers

Oprah Winfrey reveals a few details about her first experience on The Tonight Show in 1985 during an appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima podcast.

Oprah revealed how she was body shamed on national television when she first came onto the show and then-host Joan Rivers commented on her weight and told her to lose 15 lbs. Oprah told Lima, “Joan turns to me and she says ‘Tell me why are you so fat?’ ”

She just responded, “I just did, like, ’Oh, I just love potato chips, Joan.’ ” As per Oprah, Rivers said to her “shame on you.”

There she recounted saying that she was ready to go to a "fat farm," which was the term at that time for a health retreat. She added that Rivers' comments reminded her, "I should be shamed."

Oprah Winfrey recalled the diet and that she starved herself for 5 months. She added: ‘obesity is a disease not a character flaw.’

Winfrey further revealed that at that time when the comments came around and she feared she would lose her role in The Color Purple due to her weight.

Oprah Winfrey began at length by admitting that participating in diet culture was one of her biggest regrets.

As when it came to working for a role in The Color Purple, the producer, Steven Spielberg, told Winfrey,” ‘"I hear you're at a fat farm.’ He said to her that if she lost a pound, she will lose this part and that was the full-circle moment for her.

In regards to that, Winfrey then instantly let it go and it was the greatest life lesson for her. Then Winfrey landed on the role of Sofia, which earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Winfrey shared, “That became my grounding teaching for the rest of my life and career. Do everything you can, work as hard as you can, and then let it go.”