- Oprah Winfrey told the LA Times she hasn’t left her house for 322 days during the pandemic.
- In an interview promoting her new documentary, Winfrey said she’s adjusting to the isolation well.
- The talk show host said the pandemic has allowed her to “be with myself” for the first time in years.
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Oprah Winfrey shared her experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, including a 322-day period when she never left her home.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times’ Marissa Evans published Friday, Winfrey, 68, said she has been cautious during the pandemic after hearing from friends and others who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
The famous talk show host is currently promoting The Color of Care, a documentary she is producing about racial injustice in healthcare. Winfrey’s studio Harpo Productions worked with the Smithsonian Channel and director Yance Ford on the project.
“My empathy and understanding of how that needs to be is my relationship. I’ve been so careful with myself that my own friends make fun of me,” she told the outlet. “I haven’t left my home for 322 days — I literally haven’t left the house. So it wasn’t a heavy burden for me personally to carry.”
Winfrey said the experience impacted her towards the end of 2021. However, she said she was surprised at how well she had adapted to the isolation of the pandemic and was able to take time for herself.
“I remember one point [Gayle King] said, “Don’t you just miss being with other people?” I say, “Eh, not really.” And I think that’s because I was in an audience of 350 people twice a day, every day, so I had handshakes and autographs and selfies and a lot of attention and exposure to a lot of people,” Winfrey continued me in a way I haven’t been able to in years, because usually, even when I’m taking some time out for myself, I’m still thinking about what’s coming next.”
Winfrey also spoke to the LA Times about her own experiences of healthcare privilege and racism, including the time a doctor misdiagnosed a thyroid problem that was causing her heart palpitations.
The Color of Care premieres May 1st on the Smithsonian Channel. The documentary is also available for free through May 31 on YouTube and the Smithsonian Channel’s Facebook.