Oprah Winfrey says there’s no beef between her and Taraji P. Henson.
The media mogul quickly shut down rumors that the two were feuding during red carpet interviews at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards on Sunday.
“It’s so disturbing to me. Why is my name even in this conversation? Why is my name in this conversation? ‘Cause I have just been the champion for everybody,” Winfrey, 69, told “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King.
“The thing that is so upsetting to me is that … something went viral where they’re analyzing us on top of the Empire State Building.”
She explained, “We were cold! It was cold. That was the fourth thing we had done that day.”
Winfrey – who co-produced “The Color Purple,” in which Henson stars – insisted that she did everything she could to ensure a positive filming experience for Henson and the rest of the cast, which includes Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks and Halle Bailey.
“I heard that Taraji was upset because she had been asked to [use] a rental car,” the former talk show host told King, 69. “I personally called Toby Emmerich, who was at the time the head of Warner Bros., and he said, ‘Well, that means we have to do cars for everybody.’ And I said, ‘Then we do cars for everybody. And if it’s necessary, I will pay for the cars myself.’ He goes, ‘Well, we don’t want you to do that.’
“So that was one thing, trailers were another thing, food was another thing. And everything got handled.”
Winfrey echoed those sentiments in a conversation with “Entertainment Tonight,” saying, “Whenever I heard there was an issue or there was a problem – there was a problem with cars or the problem with their food – I would step in and do whatever I could to make it right. And I believe that [Henson] would even vouch for that and say that is true.”
However, the multi-hyphenate made sure to note that she was “not in charge of the budget” of the film.
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Speculation there may be bad blood between Winfrey and Henson, 53, began last month after the latter tearfully told King that she’s “tired of working so hard” and “getting paid a fraction” of what non-black actresses earn.
“I’m tired of hearing my sisters saying the same thing over and over,” she added. “I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing.”
The “Empire” star went on to tell The New York Times that she had to fight behind the scenes of the movie, too.
“They gave us rental cars, and I was like, ‘I can’t drive myself to set in Atlanta.’ This is insurance liability; it’s dangerous. Now they robbing people. What do I look like, taking myself to work by myself in a rental car?” she said.
“So I was like, ‘Can I get a driver or security to take me?’ I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, ‘Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.’ Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for. I was on the set of ‘Empire’ fighting for trailers that wasn’t infested with bugs.”
In the same interview, Henson highlighted that Winfrey was among the “Color Purple” producers in her corner.
The Golden Globe winner elaborated on that thought in an Instagram post, praising the media mogul for being “a steady and solid beacon of light to ALL OF THE CAST of The Color Purple!!!”
“She has provided ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE and UNWAVERING SUPPORT to us all. She told me personally to reach out to her for ANYTHING I needed, and I did!” Henson gushed.
“It took ONE CALL… ONE CONVERSATION… and ONE DECISION MAKING BLACK WOMAN to make me feel heard.”
But social media users felt the pair’s “body language” in the accompanying photo – which was taken while doing press at the top of the Empire State Building on a particularly cold New York City day – told a different story.
“I don’t buy it. But I support you Taraji,” one commenter remarked, as someone else added, “Blink twice if she or the industry making you say this.”