Oprah Winfrey is facing a new wave of backlash over an old royal bombshell.
After revisiting her 2021 interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Winfrey’s explanation of her “silent or silenced” question has sparked renewed debate online.
The media mogul’s reflection on one of the most talked-about moments from the explosive sit-down has reignited debate over the interview that shook the monarchy, divided viewers and put Harry and Meghan’s claims about royal life under a global microscope.
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During a recent Vanity Fair interview, Winfrey looked back on the viral exchange with Meghan, explaining why she challenged the Duchess of Sussex after she said she had been “silent” during her time as a working royal.
“I wanted to be clear because was she silenced? Were people telling her not to talk?… I said it for clarification because I didn’t want later to hear, ‘Well, no, it wasn’t that. It really was that I was silenced. They wouldn’t let me talk.’ So it was all for clarification.”
Meghan told Winfrey at the time, “I’ve always valued independence” and “I’ve always been outspoken, especially about women’s rights.”
“I mean, that’s the sad irony of the last four years is I’ve advocated for so long for women to use their voice. And then, I was silent.”
Winfrey responded with the question that instantly went viral.
“Were you silent or were you silenced?”
“The latter,” Meghan replied.
Winfrey also revealed that Harry and Meghan did not know what questions she planned to ask before the interview.
“They didn’t know obviously anything that I was going to ask them, but I had said to them ahead of time, ‘I’m going to try to cover everything.'”
“This interview took three and a half hours… I was just trying to carefully go through everything that had come up in the past.”
The 2021 CBS special became one of the biggest celebrity interviews of the decade after Harry and Meghan opened up about their decision to step away from royal duties, allegations of a lack of support from the royal family, Meghan’s mental health struggles, and claims about conversations surrounding their son Archie’s royal status and security.
The couple’s comments sparked worldwide debate, including Meghan’s claim that there were “concerns and conversations” about “how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
Harry also described feeling trapped within the royal institution.
“I need to do this for my family. This is not a surprise to anybody,” he said.
“It’s really sad that it’s got to this point, but I’ve got to do something for my own mental health, for my wife’s, and for Archie’s as well, because I could see where this was headed.”
Winfrey’s latest comments quickly triggered a wave of reactions online.
“Oprah backpedaling?” one X user wrote.
Another critic commented, “Oh, Oprah… You failed to challenge obvious inconsistencies… and handed Harry and Meghan a worldwide stage to tell ‘their story’ without proper scrutiny or questioning. Now you want ‘clarification?’ That ship sailed! Spare me…”
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A third added, “Five years later, Oprah is still trying to distance herself from the dastardly duo. Looks like scrubbing the interview from the internet was not enough. How can an industry giant like Oprah allow herself to be used by confirmed pathological liars?”
But supporters pushed back against the criticism.
“In that royal climate she was silenced she didn’t have a voice. The royals can’t express their own opinions, everyone knows that,” one Instagram user wrote.
“I remember every one of these moments. She is a TRUE icon. A pioneer. I love Oprah,” a YouTube commenter added.
“Great look back moments… I remember them all,” another fan wrote.
Years later, the question continues to fuel debate surrounding Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal life.
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