Oprah Winfrey Gets Real on “The View”: Body Image, Faith, and Finding Freedom

In this episode, Sunny Hostin sits down with executive producer Brian Teta to reflect on Oprah Winfrey’s powerful appearance on The View. Hostin shares how Winfrey inspired her as a young woman and opens up about her own weight-loss journey an experience echoed in Winfrey’s new book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It’s Like to Be Free. Hostin also weighs in on constitutional rights during police encounters and offers pointed criticism of recent ICE agent actions.

Winfrey joins the panel to discuss Enough, candidly revealing that the only time she truly felt comfortable in her body was 40 years ago while portraying Sofia in The Color Purple a role she says changed her life. She recalls how that moment marked a turning point, with Whoopi Goldberg transitioning from stand-up comedy to the film and Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones championing their success behind the scenes. At the time, Winfrey was negotiating her talk show deal, unaware of the cultural impact it would eventually have.

Oprah reflects on her faith, noting that despite enduring significant hardship, she always believed she was meant to be where she was. She also opens up about her biggest regret from her decades-long television career and discusses the deeper message behind Enough alongside Dr. Ania Jastreboff. Winfrey speaks candidly about the shame she once carried around her weight, admitting she believed it was her fault and recalling public ridicule including remarks from Joan Rivers that deeply affected her. More inside…