Taraji P. Henson has taken a firm stance on the recent speculation about a feud between her and Oprah Winfrey.
The rumor first erupted on social media during the ‘The Color Purple’ promotional tour in December. Amid the tour, Taraji expressed grievance at the unequal pay state for Black actresses in Hollywood.
Taraji Denies Feuding With Oprah
The former ‘Empire’ star clarifies that there’s no rift between her and Winfrey, despite what folks have said on platforms such as TikTok.
In an interview with TODAY, the actress said, “[Oprah] would step in and do whatever (she) could to make it right [on set].”
“You know, she called me, she called me personally. Not my team, not my people — me. And asked me, ‘Taraji, if there’s anything you need, you let me know.’ And I said it with a shaking voice, I was like, ‘Well, yeah,’ — since she asked. And I told her and she fixed everything the next day.”
Henon went on to say that Winfrey made sure to handle any issues that arose during filming and that the former talk show host went out of her way to make sure the cast was taken care of.
“She held our hands the entire production,” Henson added, further explaining how it’s not common to see producers on the set of a film.
She doubled down on her words, saying she wasn’t going to allow social media to stir a feud between her and Winfrey when there was never an issue to begin with.
At least not with Winfrey.
“And what you’re not gonna do is pit two Black women together — not on my watch,” she noted. “I hope they can focus back onto this film, because right now, to me, it feels like what I said is now becoming louder than this beautiful film.”
Henson also didn’t seem too happy about how distracting the rumor while ‘The Color Purple’ was having its moment in the spotlight.
“And that’s not fair to me, or anybody in the film, because the film deals with women who are oppressed — who live in an oppressed system,” she continued.
“Men and women. And all the characters in that film except for the white people. So that movie is about healing. That movie is about sisterhood.”
It’s important to note that there has been no substantial evidence to support any claims of a feud between Winfrey and Henson. Both have shown mutual respect for each other in various interviews these past few weeks.
See Oprah’s recent comments on the matter below.
Amid rumors of tensions with “The Color Purple” star Taraji P. Henson, Oprah sets the record straight with @GayleKing. pic.twitter.com/cHim006lDp
— Legacy & Legacy Reborn (@LegacypowerHq) January 12, 2024
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