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Photo: OWN Communications
Vernita Lee, mother of Oprah Winfrey, has passed away at the age of 83. Her death was confirmed by the Lee family. Lee did not raise Oprah; Winfrey was raised by her maternal grandmother. The relationship between Lee and Winfrey was an estranged one for decades, during which Oprah learned of a sister she had never met during childhood. Winfrey and Lee reconciled, and in 1990, Lee appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and enjoyed a makeover.
SMC sends condolences to Winfrey and the Lee family.
