Oprah's New Half-Sister Turned Down Tabloid Cash

By Rob Shuter Posted Jan 25th 2011 09:53AM

Oprah Winfrey stunned viewers on Monday with news that she recently discovered a half-sister she never knew about, but that's only part of the amazing story. Now it turns out that the talk-show queen's sibling, Patricia, cared so much about her sister's privacy and reputation that she turned down a blockbuster offer from a tabloid magazine to expose the truth.

"All Patricia wanted was the truth," an insider tells me. "She wasn't interested in selling her story even for a million dollars. She just wanted to know who she was, where she came from and if she had any brothers or sisters. She had no idea when she started this search she would end up being Oprah Winfrey's half-sister."

Oprah Winfrey promised to reveal a huge family secret on her show, and she didn't disappoint. The queen of all media introduced Patricia in an emotional and jaw-dropping hour of television. Patricia and Oprah share a mother, Vernita Lee, who had kept her pregnancy with her third daughter a secret all these years after giving up Patricia for adoption when Oprah was only 9 years old.

Confusingly, Oprah's other half-sister, who died in 2003, was also named Patricia, but her mom said she did not name the daughter she gave away.

Resourceful Patricia started the process of finding out her family history after seeing her then-unknown mother in a TV interview detailing facts that Patricia knew matched her birth mother. A DNA test finally confirmed Patricia was in fact Oprah's half-sister. This was in 2007. Since then, Patricia tried and tried to contact Oprah, but being the highly private person she is, this proved difficult until November of last year. They met, fittingly, on Thanksgiving Day.

"No one knows what the future holds for the family. Patricia doesn't want a dime from Oprah and certainly wasn't going to take money from a tabloid whose offers are now pouring in," an insider tells me.

And what really would an interview with Oprah's half-sister be worth? "The starting point would be 1 million," one influential tabloid editor tells me.

Patricia, you did the right thing. Who needs a million when you have the golden goose?

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Tags: oprah winfrey

Comments

(63)

Tuesday 25 January

By Sue

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She's not a stepsister, she's a half sister, since they share one parent.

By ao2bd

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And what really would an interview with Oprah's half-sister be worth? "The starting point would be 1 million," one influential tabloid editor tells me.
I love reading this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him via age'lessmate.c'om a nice place for seeking age le ss love.which gives you a chance to make your life better and open opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends..

By stu

oprah...double DNA check w/ maury povich. something fishy gf!

By BTDT

She said no to the tabloid cash,
but evidently yes to the baked ham.

By Bob Miller

It's half sister bozo ! Half sister ! Not step sister ! Go back to bagging grocery.

By nora

oprah 1st i want to tell u i love your show,and when i watched your show and heard the good news that u found your sister i was so happy for u and it touched my heart to see u happy cus u help alot of people and again it was so good to see u happy at heart have fun with your sister!!!!!

By sharon

Beautiful Story and a Happy Ending. Patricia is pretty.

By Eileen

Her half-sister was never offered anything from the tabloids because she did not share her findings with anyone outside of her immediate family. I believe this could have been written in a better context.

By Kattie and Trish

I am so happy for Oprah and for Patricia.

By Mike

I am thrilled for Patricia and admire her. She did NOT go to the press nor used Oprah's name to get publicity. However, I cannot say the same for Oprah who USED Patricia for ratings, plain and simple! This should have been handled outside the press and outside of her show! Oprah is and always will be a hypocrite!

By anyya

I so agree. She is one big hypocrite... I cant stand her or her show...Get real Oprah....

By KCV

I disagree....I bet if given the chance to reveal your own secret versus letting someone else do it for you, you would choose to do it yourself in your own format.
I'm not an Oprah Fanatic, but I agree this was the best way to handle it. In her case, if someone else (TMZ, Enquirer, etc.) got hold of it first, they would have tried to get the whole family to sell her out (which most have already done). It would have been reported scandalously and deceitful. She showed enough, but not too much and answered all the questions she knew the tabloids would pay for. Just glad she didn't give the woman cars, homes and money on TV...that would have been overkill!

By pamliska

I so agree. She is always plugging for herself. After all it is all about her. Why can't she just go away. 25 years was way long enough! Way long enough! Give me Jerry Springer anyday!

Wednesday 26 January

By Lola

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I dont see anything oprah did wrong announcing public about her half sister, all oprah did was put the truth out there so everything can be out in the open, so now no one has anything to tell about oprah family secret, and if they did all they gonna be doing is repeating what oprah have already said, good for oprah, love that woman,

Thursday 27 January

By Kathy

Mike, if you had listened to the interview you would have heard Oprah say that when she first met patricia it was on Thanksgiving, 2010. She also went on to say that she wanted to put the truth out there, and preventing the tabloids from creating a scandal out of this situation. Which if she hadn't told her sister's story, the tabloids would of had a field day creating all kinds of lies. Instead of hating (which is jealousy) on Oprah, be glad for her and Patricia.

Friday 28 January

By carol

There's always a rotten apple in every bunch. That's nothing wrong with introducing her sister on her show. Because oprah is a celebrity and people are interested in knowing personal things about her, she shared and made a lot of people's day brighter for it.

By Mrs. E

The writer of the article referred to Oprah as the "golden goose"...I imagine that Rob Shuter is so jaded by the trash and misgivings of celebs that it is difficult for him to fathom that there are good hearted people in the world....Patricia wants nothing but a family..yes that family includes Oprah Winfrey, but there is no greated gift than the love of a family...
...shuter, I just best you eat alone..alot.

By SuperDuperH8r

That would have been awesome if her sister was totally hot and skinny. Too bad she looks like Oprah. She played her cards right, too. Can you say "JACKPOT?"

By pat

I find is amazing that so many people reduce this heartwarming reunion to the level of a money-finding event. What is the matter with some people? Don't they have feelings and a heart? This is an event for ten lifetimes.

By Malisa

I am so happy to know in a world were everyone wants something for nothing wer see that there are good people left. Patrica has showed that love means more than money .As I get older I realize it is what you give to the world and not what you take. Oprah breath and let your guard down I think love is all she wants.My prays go to the family.

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