‘Inside Her Backyard Wedding’
According to New Idea, “Oprah Winfrey is finally set to say ‘I do’ to her devoted partner, Stedman Graham.” The two have been engaged for 29 years, and are “currently planning an intimate ceremony at her lavish Montecito home, eliminating all the stresses of having a big to-do.” An insider says “Oprah’s keeping the guest list super tight – family, Gayle King and a few key friends like Meghan and Harry.”
The couple is keeping it “very simple,” and the coronavirus means Winfrey has an excuse to “keep her big day small and stress-free.” Winfrey and Graham “feel it’s important to take that step after the year they’ve had.” The article concludes by saying “they’re closer than ever, so now is the time.”
Bait An Switch
This is yet another bait-and-switch story from a tabloid notorious for them. The headline says “Oprah ties the knot,” but the story is actually about how she and Graham are planning a wedding. That is an enormous distinction, especially considering this wouldn’t be the first time this couple has planned a wedding that didn’t come to pass. New Idea is using a more provocative headline to sell a story it has no intention of telling, so we can immediately bust this story.
Is She Planning A Small Wedding?
Winfrey wrote about their decision to stay unmarried for O Magazine. She said “had we tied the marital knot, we would not still be together” because “my life with the show was my priority, and we both knew it.” She values what they currently have, “partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth,” and does not see a need to get married.
There is no reason to think this 29-year-old resolve would suddenly disappear. It’s even less likely that New Idea would have the scoop on Winfrey’s wedding plans. Why wouldn’t, say, O Magazine have these details? The answer is simple: this story is completely made-up.
Other Bogus Stories
Winfrey is a frequent target of tabloids. It recently claimed she was distancing herself from the Sussexes, which looks pretty dumb considering their tell-all interview is coming soon. The tabloid’s sister publication, Woman’s Day, once claimed Winfrey was brokering peace between Markle and Markle’s father, but that simply never happened.
Gossip Cop also busted a story about Winfrey being furious with the Sussexes over an interview with Ellen Degeneres that, shockingly, never actually happened. Tabloids love evoking Winfrey when they bash the Sussexes, but that doesn’t make those stories true. Winfrey and Graham will soon celebrate their 30th engagement anniversary, but it doesn’t look like it will be a wedding party.