Oprah Winfrey Reveals She Underwent a Serious Surgery

Oprah Winfrey recently disclosed that she had two major surgeries in 2021. As part of her The Life You Want Class for Oprah Daily, the media mogul discussed the topic of gratitude and decided to share her story after one of the guests mentioned appreciating every limb and organ. Winfrey said that after recovering from dual knee surgeries performed in August and November of 2021, she vowed to be more active and "fully in my body. "I had double knee surgery last year," the 68-year-old explained via Zoom from her home. "I had knee surgery in August, and then I had another knee surgery in November. When I came home the first time, I literally could not lift my leg. I couldn't lift my heel off of the bed, and I vowed if I was ever able to get up, walk around, and move again -- that I would take advantage of movement, exercise, and of being able to be fully in my body." Winfrey revealed that she took up hiking during her recovery process. "As I was rehabilitating, I started hiking," she shared. "Every day, I tried to hike more and do more. My appreciation for every organ and every limb has expanded exponentially. So, you mentioning that really brought that home to me." 

A viral TikTok recently featured Winfrey's commitment to hiking. Her social media director, Joseph Zambrano, recorded a video that explained how she misled her group, including Gayle King and Ava DuVernay, about their exact destination during a trek. "What is the term for being catfished, but on an event?" Zambrano begins the video by asking. "You know, I think people should be honest when they say, 'Let's go on a hike.' [Winfrey] said it was five to seven minutes. It's been five to seven miles." After pointing the camera to his outfit, Zambrano jokes, "We've been hiking for hours." In another shot, he shows King's sweat-soaked summer dress. The video shows Winfrey revealing that they actually hiked for 50 minutes but only spent "five to seven minutes up this hill," and ends with her telling the group, "You have no more than seven minutes of steady incline," confirming that she didn't lie. 

@jznotthatjayz

I’m never going on a hike with Oprah ever again #fyp #oprah

♬ original sound – jznotthatjayz

Regarding DuVernay, the director joined the OWN founder for Variety's "The Power of Women" issue, who hinted at a possible return to acting. DuVernay remarked of Winfrey, "I hope that she acts more. She is, I think, the finest actress of her category," to which she quipped, "That means 'One who was a former talkshow host.'" Then Winfrey added, "Listen, I am living on a mount in Maui...," but when DuVernay asked if "something perfect came along," she hinted that perhaps it did. "I actually do think something perfect is coming, and I kind of know what it is," Winfrey suggested. "Let me tell you, it takes a lot to get me off the porch," she joked without providing further details. Winfrey has collaborated with DuVernay on the films A Wrinkle in Time and Selma, which she produced and DuVernay directed. DuVernay also created Netflix's When They See Us, which Winfrey produced, and OWN network's Queen Sugar.