Oprah Winfrey maintains a close-knit inner circle, as she once revealed in an interview that she values quality over quantity when it comes to friendships. In an October 2021 discussion, the 67-year-old talk show host disclosed that she only counts three individuals as her closest confidants, and she elaborated on the depth of her relationships with them.
“I don’t have a wide circle of friends,” Oprah acknowledged during her appearance on the Making Space with Hoda Kotb podcast. “Expanding that circle hasn’t been a priority for me until recently,” she reflected. “It’s only been in the past five years that I’ve formed meaningful connections with a couple of people in my later adult life.”
Keep reading to see who those three friends are.
Gayle King
Maria Shriver
Bob Greene
Earlier this month, Oprah, Gayle, Ava DuVernay, and Kirby Bumbpus (King’s daughter) returned from a girls trip to Japan, and according to pics they posted on Instagram. They had an amazing time.
“None of us had been to Japan before so we decided to go! girls trip with @oprah, @ava fav daughter @kirbybump & me! 8 days…4 cities,” King wrote. “Sacred trees, temples, shrines private meditation session, moss garden walk, (very) tasty meals Japan and its people did not disappoint 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵.” Her post was a reel of the four of them enjoying being tourists while participating in different excursions, sightseeing and enjoying the food.
King also shared in a separate post her experience of standing in front of a stunning cherry blossom tree, emphasizing the significance of witnessing their bloom for the group.
“The main goal of our visit to Japan was to see cherry blossoms in full bloom,” she said. “But as our luck would have it, they haven’t been this late in over ten years. In the beginning of the trip we only saw cherry blossoms in vases at hotels or restaurants….but on the last day we scored!🌸🌸🌸”
Oprah shared an image from the trip on her Instagram, featuring all of the ladies posing under a cherry blossom tree.
“Went to Japan on a girls trip in search of cherry blossoms. It rained, was cold, and only saw blossoms in hotel vases—but then we got to experience them on our very last day! Thank you Japan for your generous hospitality 🇯🇵🌸,” the media maven wrote in a caption.
King and Oprah are often hailed as the epitome of best friend goals, having maintained their friendship for close to 50 years. Their bond began at a news station in Baltimore, where Winfrey served as a news anchor and King worked as a production assistant. Since then, both have soared to incredible heights of success, emerging as influential figures in the media and entertainment industry. DuVernay entered into the picture years later and shares a close relationship with Winfrey, frequently collaborating with her. Their partnership flourished with the series “Queen Sugar,” which aired on the OWN Network for seven seasons. Furthermore, Winfrey had a role in DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated film, “Selma.”
